Would you like something to read that will forever change your life? The inspired blog posts featured on this website were best described by one of our readers as, “You hit the nail on the head, brother.”

Who Are the Israelites?

Today it is evident that the Adversary does not want the gathering of Israel, for he knows that, once this happens, his kingdom will be over. How does the Adversary think he will be able to achieve his goal? It is very simple. Mix up the races so that the seed of Israel is so diluted that they will be literally wiped out!

So which race is Israelite? Is it the East Indian, Japanese, Chinese, Mongolian, American Indian, Australian Aborigine, or even one of the African black races? Or is it none of these? Which race is it?

Not any of the above mentioned races encourages immigrants to participate in their culture. And who would even want to immigrate to these countries? Think of the poverty in East Indian culture and the oppression in others of these countries, such as China and Indonesia. People want to escape these hardships. So where do they immigrate to? They immigrate to the countries dominated by the white races.

Origin of the White Race

In this discourse we want to prove, if we can, where the white race came from and the reason why all other races want to mingle with them. In order to do this, we must go back to the beginning. When we say the beginning, we mean where the beginning of the white race originated.

The Bible tells us quite plainly who the white race is. In the first chapter of Genesis, we have God Himself naming the first man Adam. When Adam was caught in the garden in a naked condition, he was extremely embarrassed, his countenance turning red. He sought something in the garden to cover his nakedness, so he and Eve gathered fig leaves and made an apron for themselves.

Because they tried to cover their nakedness, God knew that they had partaken of the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil and were therefore embarrassed by their nakedness. So He named the man Adam, which, when translated from Hebrew, means to blush or be ruddy.

Since science says that ony the white race can blush, this implies that Adam was white. It is only reasonable then that his descendants would be of the same configuration.

Cain murdered his brother Abel, so God banished him and made him a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth (Genesis 4:8-14). Cain then “knew his wife,” and he built a city (Genesis 4:17). Questions could be asked: Where did Cain get his wife? And for whom did he build a city? It is obvious at this time — 6,000 or so years ago — that there were other human-like creatures on the earth besides Adam, Eve, and Cain.

The Bible says that Noah was “perfect in his generations” (Genesis 6:9). In translating from the ancient languages including Hebrew, generation means seedline, indicating that Noah was perfect in his genealogy from the time of Adam and Eve. This means that his progenitors did not intermarry with pre-Adamic man, which is another evidence that pre-Adamic man did exist. Yes, reason dictates that imperfections could result by intermarriage with the pre-Adamic races.

In the LDS extended knowledge of Adam and Eve, we understand that they had more children than just Cain and Abel. The Bible states that the sons of God (Adamic people) married the daughters of men (Genesis 6:2). In other words, the sons of Adam married the daughters of the pre-Adamic races. Thus the commandment of “kind after kind” (Genesis 1:24-25) was violated, and a hybridization occurred.

So now we understand that God created a race of man (Adamic), who were white and had the ability to blush, and that there was a humanoid-like creature in existence before Adam. How long these humanoids existed before Adam we do not know. What we do know and what the above tells us is that they did exist.

It is now evident that a type of man existed before Adam came on the scene. Cain said, “…every one that findeth me shall slay me”(Genesis 4:14). Who is the “every one” who would slay Cain? After all, there were many humanoid-like creatures on the earth before Adam.

An observation must be made here that is noted briefly in the Bible — and particularly in the Book of Jasher — that the children of Adam broke God’s strict law:

“And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind…” (Genesis 1:24).

Instead, the children of Adam intermarried with the pre-Adamic races (Genesis 6:2). This intermarriage of Adam’s seed with the pre-Adamic races caused various abnormalities, such as giants, to occur.

Besides the giants, other extremely evil things came about, such as crossbreeding of man with animals and birds, resulting in such abominations as the Great Sphinx of Giza. This structure, scientists have recently determined, was made long before the Great Flood happened and before the pyramids were built, as the weathering on its surface was caused by rainfall rather than by blowing sand. We have very little record of this long time period of approximately 1600 years.

The Descendants of Noah

So now we come to Noah. According to the Bible, the only true Adamic people that came through this major, horrific deluge were Noah, his wife, his three sons (Ham, Shem, and Japeth), and his three daughters-in-law. The flood that occurred mostly on the North American continent wiped out all evidence of Adam’s seed, including the existing abominations they had created. We have no record of anything else that happened prior to the flood. There are just the many old ruins remaining.

The only person we have record of who came through the flood having a polluted bloodline was Noah’s son Ham, who had married a descendant of Cain named Egyptus, whom the books of Moses and Abraham describe in the Pearl of Great Price. As we have pointed out in a previous discourse, Egyptus was not pure black but was somewhat different than the pure Adamic people. We as Latter-day Saints have the record of Abraham and therefore know that the pharaohs of Egypt trace their ancestry back to Eden through Ham.

Now we come to a very difficult subject — to prove and identify the seed of Jacob (Israel) by delving into biblical records and by investigating history.

All of Adam’s people were gone. There was no white race except Noah and his sons. Since Noah was a direct and unpolluted descendant of Adam — and we have shown that Adam was white — then Noah must be of the same configuration as Adam: white. So after the flood there were three divisions of the white race:

The descendants of Ham who eventually were basically referred to as Canaanites.

Japeth’s descendants whom the Bible describes as the Gentiles (we are not sure if this is correct, as the Bible only states this once).

Shem’s descendants who comprised the basis of God’s chosen people, especially the Israelites.

All these people were given instructions by God to multiply and replenish the earth (Genesis 9:1). What is hard to understand here is that, in most cases, when God refers to man, He means only the true descendants of Adam. So God was talking to Noah’s descendants only. At this particular time — before the time of Moses — He gave them some laws to live by, and, if they lived them correctly and faithfully, all creation would be subject unto them.

Dispersion from the Tower of Babel

At first the descendants of Noah wanted to stay together like they had done before the flood (considering that they had only one language). However, this was contrary to God’s instructions to “multiply and replenish the earth.” Because they chose to build the Tower of Babel instead of spreading out and doing their God-given job of bringing the knowledge of God and his laws to the pre-Adamic people, God confounded their language, forcing the white race to gather into family groups and disperse around the world. Consequently, their efforts in building the tower were never realized.

We as Latter-day Saints know where one particular family group and their friends went to, as we have their brief history in the Book of Mormon. We are very fortunate to have this record, which shows conclusively that the Bible record is essentially true.

The Jaredites

The Book of Mormon reveals that one of these groups was guided to America by a man named Jared. This group of about forty people started out from the valley of Nimrod in the Middle East. And under the direction of God, they built a type of ship “like a bowl” and after many days landed north of the narrow neck of land in South America.

The Jaredites, as stated, eventually became a great nation in the northern part of South America. Over a long period of time (approximately 1500 years), they divided into two factions and became exceedingly wicked. They then had a horrific battle, literally destroying each other.

Whether there were other people living in the area during this time, the record does not say. Regardless, the ruins left by the Jaredites would indicate that they were highly intelligent, having a way to move massive blocks of stone long distances that even today, with all our knowledge, we could not accomplish.

Where Are the Others?

So we see that, even though Noah’s descendants were given the laws of God, they eventually forsook these laws. For even though Noah had the fullness of the gospel, when his descendants throughout the earth (Genesis 9:19) came among the pre-Adamic races, they defiled the true laws by mixing their understanding of God’s laws with the various beliefs of these other races.

So after dispersing from the Tower of Babel, where exactly did these other various groups of the white race go? Wherever these white Adamic people went, they took with them advanced technology, which was had by but a few of their numbers.

The Sumerians

Around 3500 BC (we do not know the exact time) a white people called the Sumerians made a huge step forward, developing advanced agricultural concepts, including irrigation, which enabled them to stay in one place and build cities. Yet just 800 years later, about 2300 BC, the Sumerians were conquered by another white Adamic race.

For even though these small groups of Noah’s descendants conquered the more advanced pre-Adamic people, teaching them advanced concepts, when they intermarried with various pre-Adamic peoples, their predominance waned, causing them to disappear from history — which is exactly what happened to the Sumerians.

The Egyptians

Concerning Egypt, we have a detailed account of their influence and dominance in the world. The original inhabitants of Egypt were of a short stature and had dark skin (not negroid), brown or black hair, and dark eye color. When the descendants of Adam arrived in Egypt, these darker people became their subjects and were compelled to build and erect monumental edifices. We have evidence of these remains today, which include the pyramids of Giza and the extensive ruins of Luxor.

In both cases, with the Sumerians and the Egyptians, these few Adamic people eventually intermarried with the darker pre-Adamic race. The pre-Adamic race, being more numerous, became dominant, and the power of the white race was diminished. Please note that all of the drawings and statues of the early Egyptian pharaohs were white. Let us continue with the other pre-Adamic groups.

The Greeks

From historical records, the first wave of Adamic men came into Greece around 2700 BC. Like Sumeria and Egypt, pre-Adamic people occupied this area, where an ideal climate existed. When the Adamic people arrived, they organized the people, resulting in an important focal point in the world’s history: Being intelligent, vigorous, and strongly practical, the invading Sumerians developed the most superior society and government that lasted over 2000 years.

History shows that, on a continuing basis, when the Adamic people intermarried with the pre-Adamic Pelasgians who were a shorter people (again with dark features), their influence began to decline from within. However, their decline was prevented by a happening that occurred around 1300 BC, as they were invaded again from the north and east by another Adamic race. The Phrygians and Dorians were also white men with green and blue eyes. These basically came from the tribe of Dan and the Spartans — all white. Look at the many statues that remain today depicting these different people.

Every statue that is left of these different people shows that they were white and had beautiful features. The historian Diodorus Siculus (50 BC) states that these foreigners were expelled from Egypt. These people were from the tribe of Dan, led by Moses. In history they were called Danus or Cadmus. They settled in Argos, the oldest city in Greece. All of these tribes and families came from the descendants of Shem, as ancient historic records clearly show that all these white people were all related. The continued influx of Adamic people kept Greece and its language the standard for all of Europe, right up to the time of the Savior; consequently, Greece was the center of the civilized world for these 2000 years.

What happened to the prosperous, intelligent people of Greece who were an example to the known world for so many generations? The same thing happened to them that befell the Sumerians (who became extinct) and the Egyptians after intermarrying with the pre-Adamic races. Note that what we have in Egypt and Greece today are some of the most corrupt governments in the world.

The East Indians

Today India is the second most populous nation in the world. Their skin color ranges from almost black (without negroid features) to almost white. Why is this? Going back in history, you will discover that the original pre-Adamic people in India, who called themselves Dravidians, were short, dark-skinned, black-haired, dark-eyed people. However, centuries before our Savior arrived (1000-1200 BC), India was invaded by a group of long-headed, fair-skinned, fair-haired, tall, blue- or green-eyed people. There is much written in history to prove this.

The historian, L. A. Waddell, called them Saca (descendants of Isaac), who were Scythian. Other historians have called them Aryans. Regardless, when they arrived, the Saca introduced the Sanskrit language (the oldest of Indo-European languages) and the caste system, which is a segregation of people, each with a traditional hereditary occupation.

This caste system, which still exists to this very day, was originally introduced to prevent intermarriage between the Saca and the Dravidian. The Saca were considered superior, with all government and control being in their hands.

Of course, over these 3500 years, eventual intermarriage did occur. Now the people of India are a mixture of these two races. Today’s lighter-skinned East Indians are called Brahmin, having more of the Saca or Aryan blood in them, and are extremely intelligent. However, the majority of India’s population is very dark and lives in extremely poor circumstances.

The Chinese

As pre-Adamic man had encompassed the world, they developed differently in their various locations. China, due mostly to the huge Himalayan Mountains to the south, was pretty well isolated in the eastern part of the Asian continent. From the historian Madison Grant, we learn that the Chinese called Adamic man the green-eyed devils and the Wusuns (the tall ones).

There is a record that one of the first kings of China had blonde hair and a European skull. He was called Tai Ko Fokee (the great stranger king) and is represented as having two small horns (the Saxon-Sumerian headdress, like the Vikings were always depicted). But there is very little else relating to this history except more and more archaeological evidence that proves indeed that the white race did make incursions into China, which began to flourish around 2000 BC (1000 years after Sumeria and Egypt and 500 years after Greece).

The Romans

Rome comes late on the scene, yet by the same course. Pretty solid evidence indicates that, in approximately 750 BC, Rome’s first leader was a king named Aeneas, from the royal family of Greece. For about 150 years Rome was a kingdom, but it later became a republic (like America used to be) in 500 BC, which lasted until 28 BC. Rome then became an empire, which lasted until its downfall in AD 476.

The first kings and leaders of Rome were all white like the Greeks from which they descended. They ruled and subjugated the pre-Adamic people, the plebeians. Very gradually, laws were passed allowing the plebeians to intermarry with the Adamic race, the patricians.

Eventually Julius Caesar, the leader of the mob (comprised of plebeians and the mixed race), instigated mass killings of the patricians or Adamic race who consisted mostly of the old families, which had become totally corrupt. Julius then became total dictator with his divide and conquer strategy. Later the Emperor Constantine, whose progenitors were of the Nordic (Adamic) race, saved Rome from extinction in AD 330 by adopting a corrupted form of Christianity.

Even though Rome was fraught with corruption, the empire lasted until AD 476, when Adamic “barbarians” invaded and conquered Rome. The Adamic man, because of their rebellion against God, died out; however, the slaves survived, and their descendants form the great majority of southern Italy today.

The Incas and the Mayans

As Latter-day Saints, we know that the Inca and Mayan peoples came mainly from the Lamanite nation (originally an Adamic white race). They came in two waves at about the same time, around 600 BC, landing in two different parts of South America. Their arrival was shortly after the Jaredites had their final battle that wiped them totally out of existence.

One of these groups was from the tribe of Manasseh (Nephites and Lamanites). The other group was from the tribe of Judah (Mulekites). Both of these tribes were descendants of Jacob, son of Isaac, who was the son of Abraham. In the Book of Mormon, they describe themselves as white and exceedingly fair and delightsome (2 Nephi 5:21, 4 Nephi 1:10).

At first the Nephites were a very righteous people, and the Lamanites were a very disgusting people who had become a dark-skinned and dark-eyed people. However, over the 1000 years of Book of Mormon history, the Nephites also became a very wicked people, and God saw fit to destroy them from off the face of the earth, a little after AD 400.

Eventually the Lamanites were the only ones left; the ones who had gone north into Central America became the Mayans, and the ones remaining in South America became the Incas. Though these Lamanite descendants had become numerous, they were easily defeated by a very few Spaniards in the 1500s. The Spaniards were basically a white race, and they easily subjugated these “South American Indians”.

Is there anything in the sparse records of this time to prove the above history contained in the Book of Mormon? We do have some very interesting and recently translated historical records by an early Spanish historian, Pedro de Cieza de León. He recorded that, just before the Spaniards under Pizarro arrived in South America on July 26th, 1529, the king of the Incas, Huayna Capac, had just made war on the northern provinces in Peru (Pedro de Cieza de León, The Second Part of the Chronicle of Peru, volumes 62-68, pp. 199-221).

And after defeating his enemy, the Chachapoyas,

“the Inca [king] granted peace on conditions very favorable to himself, and many of the natives were ordered to go and live in Cuzco, where their descendants still reside. He took many women [from the northern province], for they are beautiful and graceful, and very white” (Pedro de Cieza de León, The Second Part of the Chronicle of Peru, volume 63, p. 207).

Here is real evidence that, 1100 years after the Book of Mormon record, which ended in approximately 400 AD, there were still very white and delightsome Israelites residing in the northern part of South America (Mormon 1:6).

The World

The last major invasions (there were several small ones) by the white race were mainly of the British conquering and expanding. However, the Spanish, Dutch, German, and French were also involved to a lesser degree. Each one of these nations at the turn of the 19th century were white.

Britain, however, was the greatest. They had expanded worldwide. They governed or conquered India, Burma, South Africa, and several black races in Africa; and they had already claimed Australia and Canada as well. These territories constituted the Commonwealth of Nations — nearly one third of the earth’s surface!

Spain had influential interests in South America, the Dutch in South Africa, France somewhat in Canada and North Africa, and Germany in North Africa along with some expansion endeavors in Europe. Even the Americans had extensive holdings in the Caribbean Islands and the Pacific Ocean. Sadly, these white races made the same mistake as their predecessors; however, there is a significant difference in just how they have failed.

Instead of the white race invading, conquering, and subjugating the pre-Adamic and mixed races — and then intermarrying with them — the white race has invited them into these predominantly white areas. And because of their greater birthrates, these mixed races are gradually outnumbering the white race and taking over these nations. These actions are having the same consequences as with the fall of Rome and other like nations; once the pre-Adamic races become the majority, our countries’ fortunes have continued to deteriorate.

So this is what is happening to America and Great Britain. This has already happened to Great Britain to a large degree, as she has been stripped of her vast empire. Furthermore, the Dutch have been expelled from South Africa, Germany and Spain have been reduced to living within their own borders, and America is fast becoming a third-world country.

Interracial marriage in the United States was originally a felony. Even as recently as 1958, an interracial couple in Virginia pleaded guilty, and Judge Leon M. Bazile sentenced them to a year’s imprisonment, to be suspended if they left the state for the next 25 years.

In the words of Judge Bazile,

“Almighty God created the races white, black, yellow, malay and red, and he placed them on separate continents. And but for the interference with his arrangement there would be no cause for such marriages. The fact that he separated the races shows that he did not intend for the races to mix.”

Marriage between whites and blacks was illegal in many states until such laws were struck down by the Supreme Court in 1967. The United States has been rapidly declining ever since.

Section 2:

Other Efforts to Show that the Descendants of Adam and Eve are White

Back to Adam and Eve

About 6,000 years ago, God saw fit to place upon this earth a man He called Adam. With him He placed a woman He called Eve. These two individuals had the physical capacity to live nearly 1,000 years (we will not go into the reasons for this at this time).

The place where God placed them was North America, the location centering around Independence, Missouri. All we have record of this period of about 1600 to 1700 years before the flood is what is contained in the Bible and in the recent revelations contained in the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price.

We know from these records that Adam and Eve had many children, and the purpose that God placed them here was to have dominion (government and authority) over the pre-Adamic people who were already here (Genesis 1). Well, the children born to Adam and Eve did interact with the pre-Adamic race, and this mixture became quite numerous. However, their first son Cain murdered his brother Abel, and consequently Cain’s descendants were cursed.

Some of the other children of this couple, because of their special status (such as being able to live up to 1,000 years), were able to place their seed into different animals and birds, resulting in creatures like the Centaur, Sphinx, Satyr, Babylonian bull, and other like creatures. This procedure offended God exceedingly. It was not His intention that this should happen; so rather than destroying everything and bringing another Adam to the earth for the purpose of starting over, God chose to destroy all of these abominations by causing the flood.

To accomplish this goal, God chose Noah, who was “perfect in his generations” (Genesis 6:9), meaning that his bloodline from Adam had not mixed with the pre-Adamic races. Not many realize that Noah lived approximately 500 years before the flood and nearly the same amount of time after the flood, almost 1000 years total.

God used the word man when he referred to Adam’s descendants only, but the Bible has not always been translated in this manner, which has caused much confusion. So when the flood came, all of Adam’s seed was destroyed (note that that included the mixture of Adam’s seed and the pre-Adamic races). The entire North American continent, where Adam’s seed resided, was totally destroyed, including “man” and the beasts he had domesticated and propagated.

There is evidence that these people were highly intelligent, having knowledge then that we today cannot duplicate. This intelligence they totally abused, so God saw fit to destroy most of this knowledge also in the flood.

The only survivors of Adam’s descendants were eight individuals: Noah, his wife, his three sons, and their wives. Tradition says that Noah landed upon the mountains of Ararat (Genesis 8:4), and some say that evidence of the remains of the ark is still there. It is a wonder how the waters took the ark to this elevation, but such is the tradition. We have very little knowledge otherwise concerning this period of time.

At any rate, God started over with Noah. He was a pureblood of the seedline of Adam, with the same features (able to blush). Noah was also given the same instructions as God gave to Adam.

Science has said that the only people who can blush are of a white complexion. Yet there is very little in the Bible we have to prove that this was a trait of the Adamic people. Could it be that this disclosure that his descendants were white was deliberately left out of the Bible by the people that translated it? Yet do we have a few instances left in the Bible in which this blushing attribute was used to distinguish certain people? For example, in describing his wife, Abraham says:

“I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon” (Genesis 12:11).

And then the Bible says:

“…when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair” (Genesis 12:14).

In the Lamentations of Jeremiah, he describes the Nazarites as follows:

“Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body [able to blush]than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire [blue]” (Lamentations 4:7).

Apparently these qualities of being whiter than milk, being ruddier than a ruby, and having bluish eyes were highly esteemed by the prophet Jeremiah.

King David is described as being ruddy and fair (1 Samuel 17:42). And in the Song of Solomon, David expressed:

“My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand” (Song of Solomon 5:10).

Amos, speaking of the end times, said:

“In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst [being anxious of gaining the truth]” (Amos 8:13).

And Daniel also described the end times, saying:

“And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them [descendants of Israel], and to purge, and to make them white[identify them], even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed” (Daniel 11:35).

And yet again Daniel says:

“Many shall be purified, and made white [identified], and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand” (Daniel 12:10).

In speaking of Israel in the latter days, Joel says:

“He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away[speaking of the dispersement of Israel]; the branches thereof [dispersed people]are made white [identified]” (Joel 1:7).

And the last verse of the Book of Joel says:

“For I will cleanse their blood [bloodline]that I have not cleansed: for the Lord dwelleth in Zion” (Joel 3:21).

It is quite clear that, if you read the Book of Joel and the other quotations above, the Lord has promised to identify who the white race (Israel) is in the last days and to restore them.

Who Was Abraham?

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are the main characters (besides the Savior) in the Bible, and the Bible is mostly about their descendants. Abraham had only two offspring: Isaac and Ishmael (besides the descendants of his third wife Keturah). The descendants of Hagar and Keturah are the Arabs of today, and the descendants of Isaac are the Israelites and the Edomites (today’s Jews) through Jacob and Esau. The Edomites we have already identified (see Who Are the Jews?); but who are the real Israelites, and how can they be identified at this time? This has been a great mystery.

In order to give credence to the Bible’s prophecies concerning Israel, many stories have been suggested by men to possibly explain how God would gather the Israelites. There are so many prophecies that they would be gathered that it is not worth mentioning them, and in most cases God has said that they would be gathered from the north countries.

This view was promoted by early Mormon Church leaders. They either visualized a group of pure Israelite descendants being hidden up by God in the far north in a lush valley, or they advocated the hollow earth concept, where a hidden crevice with an entrance enabled the pure Israelites to enter and be provided with an inner sun which would have the same effect on them as our own sun has on us. This they argue is where the UFOs originate, as this people’s technology is far more advanced than ours.

Joseph Smith was said to have told Eliza R. Snow that a portion of the earth was dislodged from the main body of the earth, the dispersed Israelites are on this dislodged piece somewhere in space, and this piece will be reunited to earth at some special time in the future. Many present-day Mormons seem to encourage these different beliefs. We do know that, if God wanted these things to happen in this manner, He could certainly make it so. But more often He brings things about in a more natural way.

We are aware that the descendants of Lehi, with his sons Laman, Lemuel, Nephi, and Sam, were of the tribe of Manasseh; therefore, South America fulfilled the prophecies of the patriarchs, in that Joseph’s descendants, through his sons Ephraim and Manasseh, would travel over the sea (Genesis 49:22).

We also know that Joseph Smith, whose progenitors were mostly of the tribe of Ephraim, gathered together the descendants of that great tribe who eventually went to the Salt Lake Valley, where they became a large group of people (the Mormons). And we know that the North American nation itself, prior to this, was basically — unknowingly — from this tribe as well, along with the other tribes of Israel. So North America (Ephraim) and South America (Manasseh) fulfilled the prophecy of these two great sons of Joseph (Genesis 48:20).

You can see that the Lord allowed this to happen because He knew it would happen. It came about in a natural manner. It is just understandable that God lets nature do its thing. And because God knows the nature of man, He is able to predict quite accurately what will happen to him.

Using this scenario, let us look to what seems a more reasonable fulfillment of prophecy concerning the Israelites. It is evident that God says that the descendants of Israel will be easily identified in the last days so that the Twelve Tribes may be gathered together into one nation, enabling them to bring in the Millennium, the 1000 years of peace and order. And how is God able to accomplish this? Let us do some more reasoning and exploring to demonstrate that the only way that he can do this is by identifying who the Israelites are.

Before the time of the Savior, the pure Israelites were easily identifiable with their white, ruddy skin and their ability to blush when embarrassed. The men also had beards. Let us see if we can find proof of this in nonscriptural ancient records, in an article by Yair Davidiy, who is of modern Jewish (Edomite) extraction.

Davidiy did a tremendous study on the physical anthropology of the Hebrew people. He says that, at the time of the early Egyptians, the Israelites were known as Amorites, They were called this name because of the Amorite land which they had conquered after their wanderings in the desert for forty years. Another name not mentioned in the Bible but in history had been applied to the Israelites was Retenu, after a corresponding geological space they had also conquered, which was encompassed by the land of Israel.

People from this area originally occupied by the Amurru (Amorite) and Retenu races after 1400 BC were primarily Israelite. Egyptian inscriptions and monuments depicted these people as having red, blonde, and occasionally black hair with blue eyes and red beards. Another people called Libyans, who were not the dwellers of Libya but were from the Nile Delta and of Hebrew origin, were also depicted as white.

We must note here that, at the time of Joseph of Egypt, the true Egyptian had been conquered by the Hyscos, a fair-skinned, blue-eyed race that came by way of the Mediterranean Sea from the North. This explains why the then so-called Egyptians welcomed with open arms Joseph’s father and brothers and placed them in a choice piece of land called Goshen (Genesis 45:10).

This also explains why there was no problem with Joseph marrying Asenath (daughter of Potipherah, priest of On), who bore him Manasseh and Ephraim. She was most likely of as pure Adamic blood as was Joseph, for, by that time, Shem’s and Japeth’s descendants had developed colonies in all parts of the world. So Israel’s twelve sons had the pick or choice of these white people who were mingled among the forbidden races.

The Roman Catholic Church members today who claim falsely that they are the true Christians — and the Talmudic Jews of today who claim falsely that they are the true Jews — both of these groups say that the Israelites were of “mixed kinds”. The Mishnah Negaim (2:1) says that Israelites (in this case meaning the present-day Jews) are mainly of an intermediate type of coloring, being neither black nor white. This is true, of course, for they are describing themselves, who are the descendants of Esau, Jacob’s brother who had married into Ham’s line (Canaanite).

The changeover came about at the time of the Maccabees, just before the time of the Savior when they (the Edomites) were forced to convert to the Jewish faith or be destroyed. They chose the former and brought with them the Babylonian teachings which eventually developed into the Talmud, one of the most anti-Christian books in existence.

When these Talmudic Jews confronted the Savior, what did He say unto them?

“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning…” (John 8:44).

He is referring to Cain, who became Master Mahan. He said this because Esau and his descendants had married the descendants of Ham, who had married a descendant of Cain.

Of course it is the present-day Roman Catholic Church, her children the Protestants, and the false Talmudic Jews who muddy the waters in this regard. The Roman Catholic Church has since been joined by our own Latter-day Saints in ignoring the Bible and God’s teachings to not mix the races, which law was especially made for the descendants of Jacob (Israel). How many quotes in the Bible do we need to verify this point?

In any case, the early Roman historians were quite aware that the Israelites were a fair-skinned people looking like a Germani, which, in Talmudic terminology (Aruch HaShalem), means just that: a fair-skinned people from the North.

An unusual happening could be mentioned here. Some 1700 years before the time of our Savior, a Nordic king named Woden-lithi sailed across the North Atlantic Ocean and entered the Saint Lawrence River near present-day Toronto, Canada, at a place called Peterborough.

There he left a complete history of his visit, from April to September, recorded on a huge stone in the ancient Ogam Consaine and Tifinag Alphabets. This inscription gives a detailed description of the visit by the Norse, giving the exact time and reason for their visit, which was to barter textiles with the Algonquian Indians in exchange for metallic copper ingots. You can read all about their visit in Barry Fell’s book Bronze Age America.

The Norse were already established in Norway about the same time that Abraham’s descendants were flourishing in Egypt. Apparently the climate at that time in Norway was not quite as cold as it is today. The Norse were well advanced, having a written language and sufficient knowledge to build many types of ships, including large oceangoing vessels.

They sailed these vessels across the Atlantic Ocean to the Saint Lawrence River in Canada to trade for Copper, which the Algonquin Indians mined at Lake Michigan. Additional evidence has recently been uncovered, which verifies that the above happening is actual history, with the discovery of hundreds and possibly thousands of ancient copper mines around Lake Michigan. It is all there written in stone!

Could it be that, when the Northern Kingdom of Israel was overrun by the Assyrians and carried north, these pure descendants of Abraham, as they broke away from their captivity, were somehow made aware that the remnant of another white Adamic people were already in the North? Maybe these Israelites traveled north and west into Northern Europe and merged with them, thus comprising what nations we have there today in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Northern Russia, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

Although there is no definite proof of this happening, it could be possible and be the reason why the descendants of these ten tribes ended up where they are. Besides this record in stone and the discovery of the ancient copper mines, we have no further record of this period.

Today white Indians still exist in Central America (Panama to Guatemala) and in South America. Many Cherokee Indians are white. A very primitive Indian tribe in northern Mexico is white, and the Micmac Indian tribe in Nova Scotia, Canada, has many pureblooded Indians — having no European parentage — who have black hair, very white skin, and blue eyes.

To sum up what we have learned so far, let us review: Going back to the Middle East, the Hebrews (progenitors of Abraham) saw themselves as obligated to remain as close as possible to the original master plan entailed in God’s creation of man. Therefore, they were the true inheritors of the blessings of Adam, the first person to call himself a man.

Did other man-like creatures exist at the time of Adam’s appearance? Of course they did, as we have explained previously. Several races were in existence at that time, as archaeological evidence shows. Adam’s seed was distinguished by being white and blue eyed. Does the seed of Adam still exist? It is quite evident that they do!

We have found that Egyptian inscriptions show that the Hebrews were blonde and redheaded. Some of these inscriptions also show them with blue eyes and a pink skin. Other non-Biblical sources depict or describe the Israelites as being basically long faced with blue or green eyes (the color blue fades quickly) and fair skin with varying color hair — blonde and red being prominent (although black is mentioned). The men are shown as bearded.

The fact that Jesus was white cannot be disputed. His mother was described as a beautiful woman who was fair and white (1 Nephi 11:13-18). Jesus gave instructions to his apostles to go only to the lost sheep, who at that time were scattered all over Europe and Asia and were easily identifiable as fair and white.

A question can be asked here: Can any one of any race follow God’s teachings and receive the same promised blessings as the Israelites? Of course! But that does not make them kinsmen. It does not give anyone authority — or give them the right — to change Christ’s image to look like someone they envision.

We Israelites are a proud and stiffnecked people. Because of our erroneous use of our more advanced learning abilities, we have made many wrong decisions. Reading in the Biblical history, you will see for yourself that the blushing, white-faced people called Israel, who will inherit promises made by God — some of which are still to be fulfilled — made blunder after blunder. Thwarting God’s intention of giving them a healthy, prosperous life, they forgot that God’s laws do not end with the Ten Commandments. There were clearly spelled out rules to meet nearly every occasion — rules concerning diet, dress, economics, farming methods, justice, Sabbaths, and many more of God’s laws designed to ensure our well-being.

Only the Israelites are inheritors of the covenants, oaths, and promises made by almighty God through His true prophets, and they have a latter-day promise of ultimate deliverance from all of their enemies and from the hands of those who hate them. Once we know who Israel really is, this knowledge removes all fear of the future for us.

We hope that this discourse will stimulate interest in Biblical prophecy and the coming of the Savior. Once these people are identified as the seed of Israel, we hope that they will want to dig into scripture and search out every passage relating to their destiny and their part in God’s plan. These truths will enable them to rightly identify the nations of the world, pinpoint events as they have been fulfilled in history, and look forward to those final end-time events which will herald in our new King and Redeemer, bringing about His reign of peace and righteousness.

For far too long the white race has shirked their duty and has been so heavenly minded with pride to be of no earthly use — fixing themselves on heaven and abandoning their dominion mandate on earth (Genesis 1:28). They have a very important assignment to fulfill — to prepare God’s people Israel for the Savior’s return and the righteous of all nations for peace and prosperity for a thousand years:

“Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all [the Savior]: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all… (Ezekiel 37:21-22).

What could be plainer?

“For ye are the children of Israel, and of the seed of Abraham, and ye must needs be led out of bondage by power, and with a stretched-out arm. And as your fathers were led at the first, even so shall the redemption of Zion be. Therefore, let not your hearts faint, for I say not unto you as I said unto your fathers: Mine angel shall go up before you, but not my presence. But I say unto you: Mine angels shall go up before you, and also my presence, and in time ye shall possess the goodly land”(D&C 103:17-20).

The End of the Gentile Reign

In the year 1982, a prayer was sent heavenward by a gathering of a few true priesthood holders chosen by God by revelation, closing the door to the Gentile nation. The Gentiles’ time had expired. The gospel sent to them through the Prophet Joseph Smith they had thoroughly adulterated by their pride, vainglory, and unwillingness to stand up for the true doctrines they were given. Their time had been fulfilled.

“And he answered them, and said, In the generation in which the times of the Gentiles shall be fulfilled, there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations with perplexity, like the sea and the waves roaring. The earth also shall be troubled, and the waters of the great deep; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth. For the powers of heaven shall be shaken” (JST Luke 21:25-26).

“And thus commandeth the Father[not the Son]that I should say unto you: At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel[only the Church had the fullness], and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations, and above all the people of the whole earth, and shall be filled with all manner of lyings, and of deceits[mixing of the races], and of mischiefs, and all manner of hypocrisy, and murders [abortions], and priestcrafts [prophet worship], and whoredoms [pornography], and of secret abominations [Deseret Management Corporation]; and if they shall do all those things, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, behold, saith the Father [not the Son], I [the Father]will bring the fulness of my gospel from among them”(3 Nephi 16:10).

This He has done, and He goes on to say:

“And then will I remember my covenant which I have made unto my people, O house of Israel, and I will bring my gospel[the fullness]unto them.”

And He continues:

“And I will show unto thee, O house of Israel[all 12 tribes], that the Gentiles shall not have power over you; but I will remember my covenant unto you, O house of Israel, and ye shall come unto the knowledge of the fulness of my gospel”(3 Nephi 16:11-12).

This prophecy is now being fulfilled. Israel is being identified, and the gathering has begun.

What They (Israel) Are Not

Recently a miniseries was released called The Bible. In it is depicted the people of Israel being from every color and race, even portraying Samson coming from black heritage. I am sorry, but Israel at the time of the Savior was of one color only: white… and easily identifiable.

We have gone to the Bible, Book of Mormon, and all the other gospels — and also the small amount of recorded history we have — to show just what these Israelites are and how they can be identified. When God is speaking — and when He refers to man — He is talking about one people only: the descendants of Adam and Eve.

We cannot ignore the evidence that we have presented here. The Lord Himself said that by two or more witnesses a matter can be decided upon. So when we find evidence upon evidence proving any situation, then we must accept it as truth. We have already shown that there were pre-Adamic people, and, by using the many other evidences shown, we can come to only one conclusion… that they did exist!

This knowledge was known and accepted by early Latter-day Saints. On October, 6, 1854, Orson Hyde (an apostle at the time) gave a sermon saying:

“The world was peopled before the days of Adam, as much so as it was before the days of Noah” (JD 2, discourse 18).

Clearly Adam’s seed was not those people.

We have shown that Adam’s name implies that he can blush. Only people with the white pigment can blush (be ruddy or turn red when embarrassed). We have also given evidence and shown where many of Adam’s offspring were described with this white coloring.

In the Book of Mormon, the Nephites were described as white. Even in the beginning of this book, the Lamanites were white also, but they, because of their becoming rebellious, became a dark and loathsome people. Finally, we have shown that the Norse people were definitely white and that the people in Northern Europe and Asia were nearly all white.

More Evidence of Adamic Man

In 1988 the National Geographic magazine tried very seriously to trace the pre-Adamic man. The article “The Search for Modern Humans” was written by John J. Putman. He says that he began a journey that would extend over two years, placing him further back into time. It led him from Europe to Africa, Asia, Australia, and the edge of the Americas. He was in search of the first “modern human”, those that were anatomically like us and who demonstrated the curiosity, creativity, and organizational skills that mimic our skills today.

We read in this article about evidence of ancient humanoid man that dates back possibly 2,000,000 years. They claim that these humanoid-like people migrated out of Africa and eventually covered the whole earth. Science has labeled that these creatures eventually evolved into homo sapiens, which means “wise man”. John explains that these creatures first appeared having these advanced qualities, perhaps around 100,000 years ago, and have left tantalizing traces throughout the world for us to ponder.

These human-like creatures originally had smaller brains, more robust bones, and little innovative ability, according to archaeological evidence and present-day science. Then in Europe, in the so-called Upper Paleolithic Age from 3,500 to 10,000 years ago, there was a cultural explosion causing this little innovative ability to somehow turn people to painting, carving, weaving, and developing exquisite tools. Evidence of these advanced activities has shown up all over the earth, in every part, and on every continent.

So if these circumstances described above are true, Adam was placed here at just the right time — to bring these human-like creatures a better way of life. Remember the law that every word may be established before two or more witnesses (Matthew 18:16; D&C 42:80)? Those who believe in the evolutionary theory claim that they have irrefutable evidence that the aforementioned explanation is indeed true. Their evidences, described in the National Geographic Magazine, end with the following quote: “but the dating is indirect, not perfect” also “a claim disputed by others.” So one can see that their irrefutable evidence is questionable.

So we do not know exactly how the pre-Adamic people came to be, but they were definitely here before Adam and were distributed around the earth. Even though the Bible does not come out openly and say so, it does suggest very strongly that such was the case. It describes how Cain was cast out of Adam’s family (a spiritual death) because of his rebellion, jealousy, and act in murdering his brother. The Bible goes on to say that Cain took a wife and built a city. Whom did he marry, and for whom did he build a city if pre-Adamic man did not exist?

Others Efforts in Identifying Israel

In the early part of the last century, from 1900 to around 1950, there was an extreme effort by some religionists to figure out who and where the ten lost tribes of Israel were. Some believed that there was enough evidence existing to indicate that the dispersed ten tribes were basically in Northern Europe, especially in England and Ireland.

The Scotsman John Wilson started this movement way back in 1836, and it blossomed up and down. King George VI (1895-1952) believed it. The founder of American Pentecostalism, Charles Fox Parham, spread this concept throughout North America, and Anna Bjørner (1875-1955) spread it in Denmark. Even the famous Henry Ford got involved.

There was much excitement concerning this subject until America passed her anti-discrimination law; then all went quiet. You do not hear this subject brought up very often today. The white race has had to go once again into hiding.

We have the Bible. A good 70% of America and Canada believe in it. In this volume the segregation of the races is clearly taught. The Savior Himself said:

“…Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 10:5-6).

Again we read:

“But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24).

Can there be any statements plainer than that? Jesus sent the Twelve Apostles and at least two quorums of seventy with very strict instructions to go to only the descendants of Jacob… and no one else.

Why would the Savior do such a thing — singling out a specific race of people and saying very plainly for His apostles and seventies to go preach to only this one group of people? Today the Savior would be scorned, severely prosecuted, and imprisoned by the present government for being a racist.

So let us pursue this avenue like these early religionists did and see what conclusion we arrive at. In spite of what the decadent U.S. government says, we will follow the Savior’s advice, going forward and trying to identify Israel’s children today, for the promises of the last days are mostly concerning them.

First, let us look again to the scriptures and to the early religionist efforts. They mostly pointed to countries and locations rather than color. The British-Israel movement claimed that, over the centuries, the dispersed Ten Tribes ended up in the British Isles. Other movements have said that Scandinavia, Northern Europe, Russia, and the British Isles are where they are. It is possible that they are both right.

Some people, even as we have pointed out earlier, based on Joseph Smith’s descriptions, suggest that a segment of the Ten Tribes went north and entered a hole in the earth. They further believe that the Ten Tribes reside there living the laws of God in a perfect manner and that they have a much higher civilization than we do on the surface. This gives an explanation for the flying saucers we see from time to time.

Yet another belief reportedly said by Joseph Smith is that a portion of the tribes became so righteous that they were taken by God to reside on a separate planet. Reason would say that these quotations might not be correct. Yet we admit that all things are possible if God has anything to do with it.

But using the abilities we have and a little common sense, there may be a much simpler answer. As mentioned before, the Book of Mormon says that God is going to gather His people from among the nations in the latter days as He has promised.

These religionists, which we have previously mentioned, who spent much time and research showing indeed that the Israelites went north of Palestine across the Caucasus Mountains and into the area around the Black Sea. Evidence of their existence in these areas — especially the tribe of Dan, who left evidence of his travels everywhere he went — shows that, from the Caucasus Mountains, they went west and did indeed end up in Europe and Western Asia.

In the ensuing hundreds of years, the tribes separated from each other and settled in different locations, some traveling by boat. Zebulon went to the Netherlands, and Dan traveled to Ireland and Denmark by land. Asher and true Judah went to Jutland.

Eventually most of these tribes grew so numerous in parts of Europe that they needed to expand their territory. Groups of Israel’s descendants calling themselves Angles and Saxons expanded into England, possibly bringing with them a part of many of the other tribes as well.

The significant part of these religionists’ research was overlooked in part because they concentrated on countries rather than race. As these white Israelites traveled west, they undoubtedly encountered pre-Adamic man, whom they overpowered. The pre-Adamic races existing in these Northern European areas were called Alpine or Mediterranean cultures, and they were dark haired with olive-colored skin. The Israelites intermarried with them, resulting in somewhat of a mixture of the bloods, thus becoming Gentiles.

Apparently Ephraim was the most prolific tribe, and because he was so numerous and led the other tribes — like Joseph in Egypt — they were singled out by God to be gathered first. So descendants from Ephraim and a few from other tribes were brought to America, and eventually Joseph Smith brought the true gospel to these now Gentile people.

Conclusion

The significant part of this investigation by these religionists was to prove that the descendants of Israel were mainly white. In every case, evidence has been brought forth from all these sources that the original Israelites were a white and delightsome people tracing their lineage back to a man called Adam, who was able to blush when God caught him naked in the garden of Eden; this proved that he was white, as only the white race can blush.

One of the purposes of Adam’s race was to bring laws and statutes to the pre-Adamic races, which would enable them to become prosperous and happy. God’s first attempt to bring this about failed, so He caused the flood to wipe out this corrupt civilization and started over with Noah.

Eventually the scrambling of the language at the Tower of Babel caused Noah’s descendants to mingle with every pre-Adamic people of the earth. Unfortunately, God’s law that forbids intermarriage between races was ignored. Over the centuries the white race has lost the identity of who they are, and, because of intermarriage with the heathen, they have become a mixture which God calls the Gentile.

And what do we have existing today? In family after family, Israeli features are seen: blonde and red hair and blue or green eyes, indicating Israelite bloodlines. Sometimes only one child with these features appears in a given family, and sometimes all children appear as Israelite. There are several million with these features. Not all of these are pure Israelite and can only be conclusively identified by revelation.

We are going to locate these people wherever they are and present to them the reason for these features — that they are of the house of Israel and inheritors of God’s blessings in the last days. The fullness of the gospel will be presented to these people. They will have the option to accept or reject this knowledge. The decision will be in their hands.

We invite all people having Israelite features to investigate this gathering and be participants so that the descendants of Adam, Noah, and Abraham can finally accept their responsibility of dominion over every living creature (Genesis 1:26).

]]>Will God’s Kingdom Come?http://www.millennialnorthstar.info/will-gods-kingdom-come/
Mon, 01 Dec 2014 07:24:51 +0000http://www.millennialnorthstar.info/?p=326Read more »]]>The Savior on His sojourn on this earth left us precious few prayers, at least according to the records we have in the Bible and Book of Mormon. The one we do have used to be part of our school curriculum, for we learned to recite it in the schoolroom. But not anymore.

This prayer must be important to survive the many translations and revisions the Bible has been put through over the 2,000 years or more of its existence. Many of us know it by heart. But because of the government’s ban on such things — and the Church’s negligence — many young people today do not even know of its existence.

This prayer was given from the lips of the Savior himself. Not as many people today care about Him in a serious manner as much as people used to; but one day everyone on the earth will have to bend the knee and acknowledge Him as King.

With the way things are going, the 7+ billion people on the earth today (yes, that is 7,000 million plus people) would have to do a lot of learning and changing of habits to qualify to be in His kingdom. I do not think that that is going to happen without some drastic help.
So what was this small simple prayer about? Those who know it will begin laughing at this point. Let us take a look!

“Our Father which art in Heaven. Hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the Glory, forever and ever; Amen”(Matthew 6:9-13).

I myself have said this prayer many times without really understanding its true meaning until recently. However, if we consider this prayer in a serious manner, we think, “Not in my time!”

As long as we think in this manner, it really is impossible. “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” That is the impossible part.

“Forgive us our trespasses” (some say debts). I personally like trespasses. To use debts means you owe money, which is a no-no. And in any case, if we have debts, we are supposed to pay them, right? — not have them forgiven — especially if we are living the law of consecration, which this passage implies.

Then we ask God to help us to thwart the Adversary so we can keep the commandments. And then we give God due respect and recognize that the impossible is truly possible if we do what He says.

We could at this time write down all His commandments, but that is not what this newsletter is about. This issue is about “Thy Kingdom come.” So, do we know what we are asking for here?

We can imagine God’s kingdom… or can we? With what we now know about our sun, the stars, galaxies, black holes, and the huge expanse of these spheres, can we really imagine how vast God’s kingdom is? I do not believe that God is referring to the universe.

Then what kingdom is it that He wants us to have? God is referring to His kingdom on the earth. It belongs to the Adversary right now. But do not worry; God will end up with it. And what will be the result? Peace on earth and good will towards all men.

God has given us the Bible, Book of Mormon, and the other scriptures, so we have all the requirements for us to attain this peace (the Millennium). It is up to us to attain it. The Lord will not be King until we get ourselves in order. How? By keeping His commandments.

However, many want to know what this kingdom is all about. First of all, is there even a God? And was His Son really Jesus Christ?

That portion I cannot help you with. Sorry, you will have to get that testimony for yourself. And if you do not already have that, then there is not much use in you reading further. But even if that is not present in your search, you may just be curious.

Free Agency is a Necessary Ingredient

So if you are still interested, I can give you a little bit of how the Savior’s kingdom will work. It all goes back to the war in heaven. The main platform in the plan the Savior gave was the principle of free agency. Our Savior said, “This principle has got to be in the plan; progress cannot be made without it.”

The Adversary nixed this. In his plan he said, “I will force everyone to do what I say”… with no free agency.

So the Savior is bound by the promise that He must let you do just what you want to do. So He says, “If you want help, I will give it to you. It is up to you always.”

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering” (James 1:5-6).

Joseph Smith took God up on this, and it worked. To Joseph it came bit by bit, and he was receptive. To us who are not so receptive, it might take longer. So that is one requirement: God’s kingdom must come about totally by our efforts.

Has anyone ever speculated on what His kingdom will be like? Well, yes, I would say there have been many different views expressed as to how it will come about and what it will be like. Let’s start at the top.

The King of this earth for a thousand years will be our Savior, even Jesus the Christ. We do not know how long He has existed in the preexistence, as there is no time there. What we have been told — at least as what we understand it to be in our mortal existence — makes it extremely hard for us to understand this concept, but it apparently is a reality.

In any case, it has been a long time since Jesus Christ was chosen by the Father to be the Savior of this earth. He chose the right path, in contrast to the Adversary. The right path was free agency against the Adversary’s concept of brute force. That is looking at it in the simplest form — something we can understand.

What Other People Have Envisioned

I don’t think that there are many in any Christian denomination that believe other than what is described above — that the Savior will reign for 1,000 years during the Millennium. However, everything else concerning the Millennium has come under many different interpretations and speculations.

They read from the Bible that during the Millennium there will be no wars, no sin, no sickness, no sorrow, etc. And animals will lose their vicious traits, where the lamb will lay down with the lion, and so forth. But not much is speculated as to who will participate in these splendid circumstances.

We as Latter-day Saints understand that we are eternal beings. Then what about what we have accomplished in the preexistence? Doesn’t that have anything to do with eternal things?

Because of this, there are so many factors present that the reward we get in the Millennium may not be what we expect it to be. So we can see that what people think may not be exactly correct.

The Lord has said, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done.” If we expect to live through at least some of the time His kingdom will be here, will we be ready or worthy of such a kingdom? People in the world who even speculate about the Kingdom have so many different ideas about it that it becomes a very confusing conundrum.

We as Latter-day Saints then have to sort these ideas out, and, as usual, bring all things together so that we understand what the Kingdom will consist of and what we have to do to be worthy to even live in such circumstances.

Joseph’s Efforts to Establish the Kingdom

Many in the Church at the time of Joseph Smith were anxious to bring in the Millennium, thinking it was about time. In the 1830s Joseph made a concerted effort to prepare the people, and he was given by revelation the location of the New Jerusalem. But no, the people were not ready, and his efforts did not bear fruit.

Joseph’s march to Independence, to right those in that area, was fraught with problems. The main problem was that those who took part were not prepared. There were murmurings, complaints, and disharmony amidst the camp; and because of this, their efforts came to naught.

One of the requirements to live in the Lord’s kingdom is to be one. As He has said, “… if ye are not one ye are not mine” (D&C 38:27). And this oneness cannot be forced upon us. It must come voluntarily.

The only punishment God can give is to withdraw His Spirit. That leaves the Adversary to do his work! And the Adversary certainly put an end to Joseph’s efforts.

Joseph also tried to set up the other part of God’s kingdom with ideas so advanced that even those schooled in politics were having difficulty understanding and accepting them. He was going to run for the Presidency of the United States, using the inspired constitution as his footstool.

But by that time it was several presidents since George Washington’s time, and the Adversary had taken over in many forms in the federal government. One of the greatest evils had been adopted, which weakened the Constitution, and that was the party system. Instead of choosing the best men to govern, the men with the most charisma and money were chosen.

Of course, the same goes on today. Right now it is being proposed (here in Canada) that the person to lead a particular political party in this province would need to put down a $50,000 retainer and have assets of, or be able to generate, a million dollars to even put his name up for nomination.

Of course, the person who could do this and win the nomination would automatically become Premier of the Province. That is what politics has become — not the best man… but the man with the most charisma and money.

That is what Joseph Smith was up against. So Joseph’s efforts in this respect culminated in his death. He tried to bring about the New Jerusalem, which would have become God’s kingdom on the earth under the Melchizedek Priesthood. However, he was prevented in doing so, not because of his lack of efforts but because of the Gentile mentality of the people.

So failing this, Joseph tried to bring about the righteous government under the lesser priesthood, the Aaronic Priesthood. And once again, it was because of the Gentile mentality that he was prevented in accomplishing this.

We hear little about what really happened that caused his martyrdom. He gave a certain commandment to the Nauvoo Legion to come in force to rescue him. In response, they made no effort to do so. Instead, they handed over their firearms to the worst enemy of the saints.

Again, true to their Gentile tendency, the people followed the path of least resistance; and they lost the only one who would have brought them true freedom. Brigham Young was left with the ashes.

So we see by these examples that God cannot have anyone in His camp who is not totally committed to His cause. And they must join not because of fear or guilt but with true commitment.

What did the Savior say to those in Laodicea?

“I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth”(Revelation 3:15-16).

So the Gentiles were and are neither cold nor hot. So what is God going to do with them? Spew them out of His mouth — just like you would with cold coffee, worthless garbage, or wine that is flat.

So what did God do to the early saints? He literally spewed them out of His mouth. Where to? To the Rocky Mountains and the bitter, salty desert valley of Utah, where not even the hardy Native American Indian liked to live.

These early saints, with the Lord’s Spirit supporting the faithful, repented somewhat and prospered. Did they fully repent? Of course not! John goes on and gives the reason for his disgust, which might also describe the Latter-day Saints as they are today:

“Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods[cars, homes, and many luxuries], and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:17).

And how can we overcome this pride that has overtaken us? John goes on:

“I counsel[not force] thee to buy of me [work for] gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent”(Revelation 3:18-19; emphasis added).

Boy, does that shoe ever fit! So can you see what kind of character the Lord wants in His kingdom? Will many of us qualify? Joseph Smith tried, and he failed. Brigham Young took over and spent the next few years trying to set up the Kingdom as well. His words in a council meeting verify this:

“I have travelled with Joseph a thousand miles…. I have watched him and observed every thing he said or did…. It has done me good and you good and this was the starting point of my knowing how to lead Israel. I watched every word and summed it up, and I knew just as well how to lead this kingdom as I know the way to my own house. It is God within me, and God upon me; God by day and by night, and it is for His Kingdom on the earth” (Salt Lake High Council Records, 1869-1892).

Brigham Young was well schooled in knowing how to establish the Kingdom, but he was never able to accomplish that goal. He understood that Joseph Smith and his associates continually held that the Government of God would rise to prominence and spread its power to every corner of the earth — only as sufficient people embraced and supported its program.

That is why God gave unto Joseph the following instructions:

“Wherefore, be subject to the powers that be, until he reigns whose right it is to reign, and subdues all enemies under his feet” (D&C 58:22).

The theocracy envisioned by Joseph Smith and Brigham Young could not be established because there were not sufficient numbers of people ready to make it happen. In other words, the Kingdom of God could not be forced on man. It depends upon the people to establish it. It depends upon us, those who are left of His people Israel.

John the Revelator, when he received the Book of Revelation, was speaking to whom? Was he speaking to the Gentiles? No. He was definitely not speaking to the Gentiles. You will remember that the Savior himself chose the apostles, and He said:

“These twelve [including John]Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 10:5-6).

John was one of those the Savior chose at this time. So to whom was John speaking? He was speaking only to the twelve tribes of Israel when he received the Book of Revelation.

So it is evident that the descendants of Israel have to be sufficiently worthy before the Savior even thinks about establishing His kingdom. So what can we expect before God’s kingdom can be established? And what will it be like?

Events Occurring Before His Kingdom is Established

We as Latter-day Saints have come to understand that, even with the clear understanding that Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and John Taylor had — which would have enabled them to establish God’s kingdom — they could not accomplish their design unless the people, His Israel (not the Gentiles), had sufficiently repented and gathered in adequate numbers to accomplish it.

And how could this be accomplished? It is by the withdrawal of His Spirit. The only way to get Israel to repent would be to get them to this point. And His kingdom or the Government of God would only rise to power after other governments throughout the world have been broken up by warfare and reduced to chaos.

The period of latter-day warfare had not yet arrived, so all the efforts of those in the early restored church could not be realized because the people simply were not ready.

Brigham Young lamented:

“When are the Latter-day Saints going to be prepared to receive the kingdom? Are we now? Not at all! We are prepared for some things, and we receive just as fast as we prepare ourselves. Well, what can we do, what more can we do? We can do just what we please to do. It is in our power to do just what we please to do with regard to sanctifying ourselves before the Lord, and preparing ourselves to build up his kingdom” (JD 15:4).

According to the Prophet Joseph, God limits Himself to the framework of man’s free agency in dealing with the human family. He commands and revokes as men are willing to obey (D&C 56:4-5).

Thus, even though the ideal of the Government of God finally failed before the development of events associated with gaining statehood in the Union, the concession made by Brigham Young need not be viewed as a rejection of Joseph Smith’s prophetic picture of God’s future world government.

It meant instead that, if the world rejected God’s plan of universal peace (which they did by killing the prophet), an era of worldwide conflict and warfare would develop and continue in such proportions that the people of the world would one day be willing to turn to God’s plan and cooperate in organizing the political powers of the Kingdom of God throughout the world.

Concerning this time, John Taylor made the following prophecy:

“We have got this kingdom to build up; and it is not a phantom, but a reality. We have to do it, God expects it at our hands…. we have got to go on and progress in these things. We have got to establish a government upon the principle of righteousness, justice, truth and equality and not according to the many false notions that exist among men.

And then the day is not far distant when this nation will be shaken from center to circumference. And now, you may write it down, any of you, and I will prophesy it in the name of God. And then will be fulfilled that prediction to be found in one of the revelations given through the Prophet Joseph Smith. Those who will not take up their sword to fight against their neighbor must needs flee to Zion for safety (D&C 45:68).

And they will come, saying, we do not know anything of the principles of your religion, but we perceive that you are an honest community; you administer justice and righteousness, and we want to live with you and receive the protection of your laws, but as for your religion we will talk about that some other time. Will we protect such people? Yes, all honorable men.

When the people shall have torn to shreds the Constitution of the United States [which has now happened], the Elders of Israel will be found holding it up to the nations of the earth and proclaiming liberty and equal rights to all men, and extending the hand of fellowship to the oppressed of all nations. This is part of the program, and as long as we do what is right and fear God, he will help us and stand by us under all circumstances” (JD 21:8; emphasis added).

Do We Have God’s Constitution?

There have been several recordings and statements that show that indeed Joseph Smith did receive a revelation giving him a clear concept of the political Kingdom of God and its constitution.
We have never been able to locate the communication. Nor have we been able to determine whether the revelation was written down at all. And if it was written down, does it remain in some hidden corner of the Church archives?

We have heard that it may have consisted of only one paragraph, which states:

“The Kingdom of God and His Laws with the Keys and Power thereof, and Judgment in the Hands of His Servants.”

This statement could mean that, in order for the Kingdom of God to function correctly, we must have direct communication with God.

Brigham Young explained by first referring to the various organizations that make up the Church, and then he stated:

“This is what we are in the habit of calling the kingdom of God. But there are further organizations. The Prophet gave a full and complete organization to this kingdom the Spring before he was killed.

… the kingdom of God will protect every person, every sect and all people upon the face of the whole earth, in their legal rights. I shall not tell you the names of the members of this kingdom, neither shall I read to you its constitution, but the constitution was given by revelation. The day will come when it will be organized in strength and power” (JD 17:157-158).

From this we can surmise that the constitution of the Kingdom of God was received by revelation. We admit we have never been able to get a copy of that revelation. Nor do we have a copy of the Kingdom’s constitution, but I am sure these will eventually be found. There are many references that the Constitution of the United States was received by inspiration, and it has been described as a forerunner to God’s constitution.

At the time of Joseph Smith and for some time afterwards, Church leaders and members postulated that the Government of God would only rise to power after other governments throughout the world had been broken by warfare and reduced to chaos.

Shortly after their arrival in the Salt Lake Valley, the Church authorities presented to the U.S. government a copy of their proposed constitution for the State of Deseret. It was strictly orthodox in its adherence to American political thought, providing for democratic elections.

Dr. John Bernhisel said in a letter to Brigham Young dated October 2, 1850, that in reality it was ideal:

“The constitution of Deseret was much admired by statesmen here, not only as being very ably written, but was regarded as the best constitution of the country.”

We have been unable to get a copy of the proposed constitution for the State of Deseret either, so we are left with only the Constitution of the United States:

This is as close to the constitution of God’s kingdom as we can get at the present.

What Will God’s Kingdom Be Like?

First of all, the Savior will be the King and will be recognized as such. Secondly, there will be basically two sections to the Kingdom: the spiritual part and the temporal. The spiritual will consist of the church and missionary effort, to preach the truth throughout the earth. The Seventies will be sent out, and it is stated that 12,000 from each tribe will be sent out to accomplish this effort and to gather Israel.

Nothing will be forced, unlike the 3 1/2-year reign of the Antichrist, where murder and rape will cause the cleansing of the earth from all the wicked. So the wicked will no longer be around; just the righteous from all nations will be left, and they will clamor to the New Jerusalem for guidance.

Free agency must be strictly adhered to. Now we do not know how the evil people will be eliminated, but most likely it will be by internal strife, diseases, warfare, and natural disasters. All of these will possibly be a factor.

Because of the conditions existing in the Millennium, being of a terrestrial world — unlike the telestial world we now live in — we will have much easier access to the spiritual or spirit world and will see these spirits on occasion. This will occur not by force but by the will of men overwhelmingly desiring this condition.

There will be work for everyone, and those who will not work will be cast out. The laws of God will be strictly enforced. The idea and goal will be to have the same condition on earth as it is in the heavens.

Instead of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the church will be known as the Church of the Firstborn. We understand that it will be called this name due to the Savior being both the Firstborn in the Spirit and the first to be resurrected, He doing the job Himself.

What is heaven like? We have had numerous people saying they have seen and been there. However, this does not prove clearly that they have actually been to heaven. We also have people in the scriptures who try to describe its magnificence, but they say it is very hard to describe.

Every experience I have heard of is pertaining to the world they experience after they pass on. My understanding is that this is not our final resting place or “heaven” but is the spirit world where our spirits meet up with similar spirits in the hereafter before we are assigned a place in heaven. Like-minded spirits will congregate together. But this is not heaven.

We do know that there are different categories where the evil are grouped together and the good are grouped together. It is said that the filthy will be filthy still; the change in location will not change us.

Apparently there are mansions when we get to heaven. The Savior said to those who believed that many mansions were being prepared for them. Meanwhile, the really wicked will go into outer darkness, wherever that is.

We do know that, when we are free of our body, all the physical pain will be gone. However, our emotions and attitudes will still be with us. If the spirits who have passed on have a craving for drugs, the craving will still be there. And the only way that they can satisfy these cravings is by endeavoring to persuade someone still living to indulge and then taking over their body and vicariously experiencing the effects. It is sad.

But these experiences described by those who claim to have briefly visited the other side after dying and being revived could be in gross error. We can only be sure of what has been written in scripture:

“… Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

What this scripture is saying is that the only way we can really view or understand the hereafter is by the willingness of God to show us. And as Paul stated above, these great glories thus described are reserved for the righteous only.

Most people who read this verse of scripture will think that this will apply to everyone. The question that we should be concerned about is, “Will it apply to us?” For it is not for everyone but only for “them that love him.” So we have to have the love of God in us to realize this blessing. And we have very little information about what happens to the rest.

We have to decide if God really means that His kingdom will come and that His will shall be done on earth as it is in heaven. Yes, He does mean it. It must be so if He is to dwell here. But the question will be asked, “Will the Kingdom of God exist all over the earth?”

To the early Church leaders, there would be two main headquarters during the Millennium. One would be at Independence, Missouri (the New Jerusalem), and the other would be the Old City of Jerusalem. The Savior will dwell in these two places only and be King of the whole earth.

Hyrum L. Andrus made the following statement:

“It was held that in some future day the Kingdom of God would have two great centers of world government — the City of Zion on our Western continent, and Jerusalem” (World Government, p. 29).

This view is supported by scripture:

“And many people shall go and say [a prophecy], Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob[Israel]; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:3).

And again we have nearly the same concept:

“And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Micah 4:2).

The same is repeated in 2 Nephi 12:3. God’s will, in these two places, will be done. All those dwelling in these places will have to be living the celestial laws. God’s kingdom will really be here, and His will will voluntarily be done.

How About the Rest of the World?

Early Church leaders had some ideas, and Joseph Smith himself had some views concerning what it will be like for the rest of the world.

Remember the real name of the Kingdom: “The Kingdom of God and His Laws with the Keys and Power thereof, and Judgment in the Hands of His Servants.” We know from many other scriptures that His servants will be the twelve tribes of Israel.

Remember the quote of Brigham Young:

“… the kingdom of God will protect every person, every sect and all people upon the face of the whole earth, in their legal rights” (JD 17:157).

In other words, they will retain their free agency.

Yes, and Joseph Smith explained that the Kingdom of God had been on the earth…

“[w]henever there has been a righteous man on earth unto whom God revealed His word [a true revelator] and gave power and authority to administer in His Name, and where there is a priest of God — a minister who has power and authority from God to administer in the ordinances of the gospel and officiate in the priesthood of God…” (DHC 5:256).

George Q. Cannon gave a discourse in which he related some of the prophet’s views concerning the government existing during the Millennium. He said:

“This is the correct view to take. The Kingdom of God is a separate organization from the Church of God. There may be men acting as officers in the Kingdom of God who will not be members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

On this point the Prophet Joseph gave particular instructions before his death, and gave an example, which he asked the younger elders who were present to always remember. It was to the effect that men might be chosen to officiate as members of the Kingdom of God who had no standing in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The Kingdom of God when established [during the Millennium] will not be for the protection of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints alone, but for the protection of all men, whatever their religious views or opinions may be” (DHC 7:382).

Brigham Young understood how the Savior would reign during the Millennium. This is what he said:

“Come then, ye Saints; come then, ye honorable men of the earth; come then ye wise, ye learned, ye rich, ye noble, according to the riches and wisdom, and knowledge of the Great Jehovah; from all nations, and kindreds, and kingdoms, and tongues, and people and dialects on the face of the whole earth, and join the standards of Emmanuel, and help us to build up the Kingdom of God, and establish the principles of truth, life and salvation….

The Kingdom of God consists in correct principles; and it mattereth not what a man’s religious faith is, whether he [or she] be a Presbyterian, or a Methodist, or a Baptist, or a Latter-day Saint (Mormon) or a Catholic, or Episcopalian, or Mohammedan, or even [past] pagan, or anything else, if he will bow the knee and with his tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ, and will support good and wholesome laws for the regulation of society, we hail him as a brother, and will stand by him while he stands by us in these things; for every man’s religious faith is a matter between his own soul and his God alone; but if he shall deny Jesus, if he shall curse God, if he shall indulge in debauchery and drunkenness, and crime; if he shall lie, and swear, and steal; if he shall take the name of the Great God in vain, and commit all manners of abominations, he shall have no place in our midst….” (Millennial Star 10:81, 88).

Again Brigham Young gives in a discourse his further opinions and understandings concerning God’s kingdom:

“If the Latter-day Saints think, when the Kingdom of God is established on the earth, that all the inhabitants of the earth will join the church called Latter-day Saints, they are egregiously mistaken. I presume there will be as many sects and parties then as now.

Still, when the Kingdom of God triumphs, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ, to the glory of the Father. Even the Jews will do it then; but will the Jews and Gentiles be obliged to belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? No; not by any means.

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘In my Father’s house are many mansions.’ … There are mansions in sufficient numbers to suit the different classes of mankind, and a variety will always exist to all eternity, requiring a classification and an arrangement into societies and communities in the many mansions which are in the Lord’s house, and this will be so forever and ever” (JD 11:275).

So we learn here that the only difference between then and now is that the Adversary will be bound so that he will not have influence over us or anyone.

Our free agency will not be infringed upon. We will still have the choice of choosing right or wrong. And the only requirement will be that everyone dwelling under these conditions will have to bow the knee and confess that Jesus is the Christ, recognizing Him as the King of the Earth and obeying the laws of God.

Who Will Do the Governing?

We have quite a bit of information on how the Kingdom of God will be governed. What Moses set up was not only the ten commandments, which are the basics of the Kingdom, but it also included all the rigamarole necessary to keep an extremely divergent people under control.

However, things will be quite a bit different, as we describe the two main differences below:

Right now we are under a form of the Law of Moses without the strict penalties. We are in the lone and dreary world — a telestial world.

Then during the Millennium it will be a terrestrial world, and the really wicked people will be gone. The Adversary will be bound for at least 1000 years, but the people will still have their free agency to make wrong choices.

Certain people will still have a lazy nature and not progress as well as others. However, the basic laws of God will have to be kept. People who willingly rebel will eventually destroy themselves.

The twelve tribes will have the priesthood and do the governing. These twelve tribes will all somehow be identified, and each will govern parts of the world. The government will be arranged so that those who wish to participate will have access to all conveniences available, including healthcare.

The true principles of health will be taught, and there will be no control over the people like today — each person choosing to be as healthy as they want to be. Those who cling to the higher standards of health have the promise that they will live to the age of a tree. Clearly these people will live longer than others.

And the law of consecration will be in effect, that all who work will be well rewarded, with their excess increase being made available to all those who are worthy.

Points to Ponder About God’s Kingdom

The Savior will be the King of the Earth for 1000 years (day of rest).

For these 1000 years, the Adversary and all his cohorts will be in spirit prison or outer darkness.

Anyone not living a terrestrial law will not be able to abide the requirements necessary to live on the earth.

The Millennium will not come until Israel is sufficiently gathered, not by force but by necessity and willingness.

The wicked will be kept out of God’s kingdom.

There will be a willingness among all people to embrace God’s laws.

They will not have to embrace Mormonism but can keep their own beliefs.

Their only requirement will be to acknowledge the Savior as King.

The Millennium will not come until global warfare and disaster eliminate all wickedness.

God’s people will be protected only if they will gather together to the places of refuge designated by God — and will be one people.

God’s people will be required to live the law of consecration.

All Israel will somehow be identified and gathered together.

There will be sufficient of God’s people to enable Him to choose 12,000 from each tribe to be sent out for the final gathering.

These 144,000 (not really very many) will be sent out to gather Israel and will have divine protection so that they cannot be killed.

During the Millennium, the Bible states that the meat-eating animals will eat grass and not require meat to live.

The headquarters of God’s kingdom will reside in Zion (the New Jerusalem) and Old City Jerusalem — both places.

In these two places, the people must be living the celestial laws in order to enable the Savior to reside there.

The rest of the world (good men from every nation) will have to live a terrestrial existence.

During the Millennium there will be peace on earth and good will to men.

The righteous will be grouped together by ethnic group, with no intermarriage.

Free agency will be strictly adhered to.

The Savior’s kingdom must come about totally by our efforts.

The descendants of Israel (Jacob) have to be sufficiently worthy before God even thinks about establishing His kingdom.

Those who will not take up the sword to fight against their neighbor must needs flee to Zion for safety.

“Wherefore the decree hath gone forth from the Father that they shall be gathered in unto one place upon the face of the land, to prepare their hearts and be prepared in all things against the day when tribulation and desolation are sent forth upon the wicked” (D&C 29:8).

]]>Why Are Some Items Missing from the Bible?http://www.millennialnorthstar.info/why-are-some-items-missing-from-the-bible/
Sat, 01 Mar 2014 21:37:22 +0000http://www.millennialnorthstar.info/?p=306Read more »]]>Introduction

The purpose of this discourse is to show that we have a very fragmented record of God’s dealings with man in all the scriptures we have that are contained in the Bible, Book of Mormon, Pearl of Great Price, and the Doctrine and Covenants.

Joseph Smith restored much truth, which was lived for a short period of time. However, the Gentiles, to which these truths were restored, have in short order abandoned much of it and admittedly have become much like the other apostate Christian churches.

As President Gordon B. Hinckley said before his passing, the Mormon Church has become mainstream. They have abandoned their efforts to live the higher laws of the gospel, such as the United Order and the Law of Consecration. They no longer have the Kingdom of God or the School of the Prophets organizations and have abandoned and basically forgotten them… or at least their understanding of them has been distorted.

It was prophesied many times that this would happen. Consider the prophecy that the last shall be first and the first shall be last:

“And the time cometh that he shall manifest himself unto all nations[of Israel], both unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles; and after he has manifested himself unto the Jews[at the time of the Savior]and also unto the Gentiles[at the time of Paul], then he shall manifest himself unto the Gentiles[at the time of Joseph Smith]and also unto the Jews[actually all of Israel], and the last shall be first, and the first shall be last” (1 Nephi 13:42).

The last part is made a little clearer in the following verse:

“Wherefore, I must bring forth the fulness of my gospel from the Gentiles unto the house of Israel” (D&C 14:10; emphasis added).

This verse fulfills the latter part of the above prophecy.

Loss of the Fullness of the Gospel

The Savior brought the gospel to the Jewish nation, and the Jewish nation took the gospel to the ten tribes. For thirteen or so years, the twelve apostles and at least two quorums of seventy went to the people of these tribes (in the known world at that time) to spread the fullness of the gospel and set up churches among them. These churches carried on the fullness as best as they could for a period of time.

Later because of fierce persecution, they fled from Jerusalem, mainly to England and Ireland. Because of this tremendous persecution, the fullness of the gospel was lost, and then Paul was sent to the Gentiles. This same fullness, which the Jews first accepted then lost, may have been given to the Gentiles also… we simply do not know.

By the time Constantine the Great (274-337 A.D.) adopted the corrupted form of Christianity then in existence, the fullness of the gospel had been abandoned by the Gentile church (if they ever had it), and the church had done a complete turnaround, becoming the “Mother of Harlots” (Revelation 17:5). The Church had been taken over entirely by the Adversary. This Mother of Harlots eventually was responsible for killing millions and millions of people trying to live the true gospel.

Restoration of the Fullness

Eventually the strong Protestant movement came into being, and up sprang her children, the many Protestant churches. The founders were strong-willed, courageous men mostly of Israelite background. They restored some basis for truth, in preparation for the fullness to be restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith.

To whom did Joseph Smith bring the fullness? He brought it to the Gentiles, headed by one tribe, the tribe of Ephraim. So now we have further prophecies fulfilled: first to Israel by the Jews, second to the Gentile mixture through Paul, and now back to the Gentiles through Joseph Smith.

Clearly there would be one more shift back to the Jews; however, the D&C says correctly “house of Israel” (D&C 14:10). Ephraim had been the one chosen as first to be gathered because he had mixed himself thoroughly throughout the heathen nations, having become the mixture called the Gentiles.

But like Joseph of old whose family was spared by his being sold into Egypt, likewise his posterity will survive through his son Ephraim to restore the priesthood to the other tribes when they are gathered. These tribes are to be gathered by the tribe of Judah, for it is prophesied in his blessing, “… and unto him shall the gathering of the people be” (Genesis 49:10). The true tribe of Judah is about to be identified and will begin the gathering of the other ten tribes.

Unintentional Translation Mistakes

Thus far, we have given a brief history and shown the fulfillment of prophecy. However, it was our intent to give in this message how much we do not have of the scriptures… and the reason why.

The Lord has said that, when the scriptures were received from Him by the ancient prophets, the Lord’s instructions were pure and true. However, since the time they received their instructions from the Lord, thousands of years have passed, and these scriptures have been translated many times, which poses some potential problems. Let us demonstrate with the following analogy:

Are you familiar with a game in which several people gather together in a circle with a short story being whispered to a person at one end of the circle and then whispered in turn to the person next to them? This story is whispered in turn to each person around the circle until the story reaches the person who initiated it. Often is the case that the wording and the content have been changed considerably!

Why does this happen? People are human and make mistakes. Unless a person is inspired, no matter how intelligent he or she is they will make mistakes. This is the first of many reasons why the Bible is not as accurate as many religionists swear it is. Let us pursue several other reasons why this is so.

Misinterpretation of Words and Phrases

It is easy to see at the beginning of our quest that we are indeed fortunate to have the scriptures we have today, as accurate as they are. But let us pursue further.

Some of the old languages did not have vowels… just consonants. Each word had to relate to its immediate situation to be understood correctly. If that situation was not present and understood by the translator reading it, it could have been translated with an entirely different meaning.

Some languages had a limited vocabulary. Consequently, conveying a complicated situation would indeed be very difficult. To translate simple words like dog or cat would be easy; however, when different types of dogs or cats needed to be described, this would have presented a much more difficult problem. Are there not hundreds of different kinds of dogs and cats? To describe the features of each, even with the language we have, presents a difficult task.

Some languages have no equivalent word or idea. The translator would have had to choose a word or idea that best suited the word or idea he was translating. Doing this may have occasionally changed the meaning of the word or idea, giving us an entirely different slant in our understanding.

When Joseph Smith put together the revised version of parts of the Bible, he rectified and clarified many of these mostly unintentional errors. In some instances it took a sentence or two to make the true meaning clear.

So far we have not quoted many references to substantiate our statements, as these translating errors are self evident and have been covered by volumes of commentaries by many noted writers.

We have not nor will we cover all the difficulties the translators encountered, as it would take many volumes to do so. However, we have covered briefly the most difficult and severe problems.

Intentional Omissions

Besides these aforementioned translation hurdles to overcome, men also had their own opinions and beliefs. This alone could have been the most challenging problem of all.

A translator who was brought up to believe in a certain manner — when he had come to a passage he was translating that contradicted what he believed — would he not have been tempted to twist what he was translating to agree with what he believed? It is for this reason warnings were given by the Lord:

“Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish aught from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you” (Deuteronomy 4:2).

“For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book.

And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book” (Revelation 22:18-19).

If the translator had taken these warnings seriously, not wishing to suffer the promised consequences if he had not, what could he have done? He could have left out certain sections. Whether the translator would actually avoid these penalties by so doing would of course be up to the Lord.

If the translator had chosen this route, it would have been a very wise move on his part. After all, he had been translating from an older manuscript. This would have made it nearly impossible for us to ever know that there is something missing or ever know about what the translator was trying to hide, as the original he had been translating from would have been deteriorated and eventually lost.

Deception of Celibacy

We know that after the martyrdom of the Savior, many true Jewish men fled Jerusalem and tried to survive by setting up small communities in the semi-desert areas around the city. You may ask, “Would their wives have followed them?” There would have been very few, if any, that did. Why would they have left their secure environment of Jerusalem for those desert conditions? Obviously very few actually followed their husbands.

These men, being alone over time in the desert without divine direction, resigned themselves to a monk’s life, denouncing women as evil. They then perpetuated their beliefs, and thus was born the doctrine of celibacy, wherein men subdued their passions and abstained from any association with the opposite sex.

Some of these men had been prominent and well educated and had in their possession valuable records, mostly written on animal hides, which they tried to preserve for future generations. With the imminent prospect of having their country and culture destroyed by the Romans, these men hid these valuable manuscripts in caves. Some of these records have recently been discovered (Nibley, Hugh. “The Early Christian Church in the Light of Some Newly Discovered Papyri from Egypt.” Address, Tri-Stake Fireside from Maxwell Institute, Provo, March 3, 1964.)

When the Roman Emperor Constantine came into power, the true Christian doctrines of the Savior were all but done away with. Hence these men, who had followed the celibate way of life and had gained ascendancy in what was left of Christendom, of course had no wife or children to support. Consequently their time was their own, and they spent it in learning instead. Naturally these men, being the most learned and having much time on their hands, were chosen for the task of translating.

They translated the various old manuscripts into the various languages that were in use at the time. Keep in mind that the Savior’s language was Aramaic, not Hebrew. Any quotes He made were in that language. Also the ancient scriptures probably had already been translated into Aramaic, as the Savior was well versed in them. Some of these older records could have also been written in Egyptian, as the Latter-day Saints understand. (The brass plates of Laban were written in Egyptian.)

So we have these monks, having no family to support, with plenty of time on their hands handling and translating these ancient manuscripts from all the different sources and languages. However, the monks’ concept of the teachings of the Bible was entirely different than that which was taught by the apostles, the Savior, and His early followers.

The monks taught and implied that the most perfect way to heaven was the celibate way. Whenever they came to a passage they were translating which implied just the opposite belief, they had three options:

Change the passage to read just the opposite… and then later suffer the consequences.

Doctor it up so that the meaning would be left to be understood one way or the other by the reader (who has a choice of how to interpret it).

Leave the information out completely.

As previously mentioned, there are two places in the Bible that warn the translator not to change the meaning of any scripture… or they would be under severe penalty. Because of this warning (if taken seriously by the translator), he would have been very careful not to make changes. That is possibly the reason why one cannot put a finger on any clear evidence that this was ever done. We do not have the original manuscripts in any case to prove that such a thing had ever taken place.

Marriage in Cana

We do have a clear example of the second choice, however, in which the marriage in Cana has had this treatment. Since the translator was a member of the Church of Rome (which church by then had adopted the doctrine of celibacy), he tried to hide the fact that the Savior was not celibate but a married man whose wedding this was! Let us see clearly through this deception by first starting at John 2. What do we read?

“And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.

And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.

When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.

This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him. After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days” (John 2:1-12; emphasis added).

At first the account states that Jesus and His disciples and family (verse 12) were “called” to be present at this marriage. It appears that they were just invited guests. This was the intention of the translator in order to emphasize the Savior’s first miracle, which takes the attention of the reader away from the fact that this instance was actually the Savior’s own marriage. The translator wants you to believe instead that Jesus was simply a guest.

At the marriage feast, something had not been anticipated. The wine had run out. (Jesus drank wine?) Because of the Savior’s gaining popularity, more guests came than anticipated. His mother reminded Him (the groom) of His responsibility in providing the wine to accommodate the increased number of guests. Why? Because it was customary for the groom to provide the wine.

To show this is correct, who does the governor of the festivities address in verse 9 in congratulating for the excellent quality of the wine which the Savior had made from water? The bridegroom! And what did the governor say, speaking directly to the Savior in verse 10?

“And saith unto him[the bridegroom], Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men[the guests]have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.”

There can be no doubt that the Roman historian doing the translating, being ashamed to admit that this happening described the Savior’s marriage, tried to doctor this incident to make us believe that the Savior and His disciples were just guests. By telling the account in this manner, the reader is left to make a choice one way or the other. Why were they guests? They really were not guests but were the reason for the gathering.

Jesus the Rabbi

No matter how the translator tried to portray the Savior as celibate, other portions of the New Testament would counter this belief. For example, when Jesus had just called Nathanael to be His apostle, what did Nathanael say?

“Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel” (John 1:49; emphasis added).

Here Nathanael called Him Rabbi. Jesus was called this on several other occasions as well (e.g., John 1:38; 3:2; 6:25; Matthew 23:7-8). The Savior says that we are not to desire the title of Rabbi, for He says, “… for one is your Master [Rabbi], even Christ; and all ye are brethren” (Matthew 23:8). To be recognized as a Rabbi, which even the Pharisees called Him, Jesus had to be married; this was a strict Israelite and Jewish law.

Now let us look at the Savior’s associations with women, specifically Mary and Martha. It would have been sacrilegious in those days to place Jesus in situations such as those described in Luke 10:38-42 and John 11:1-47 and 12:1-8 unless He was indeed their husband.

And what about Mary Magdalene from whom Christ cast out seven devils (Luke 8:2)? She was present at the Savior’s burial (Matthew 27:61 and Mark 15:47) and at His tomb (Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:1, Luke 24:1-10, and John 20:1-11). Then Jesus appeared to her (Mark 16:9 and John 20:14-18). It would be very strange indeed to believe that she was just a friend to the Savior or just a guest.

These instances point to one thing: The Savior was married and had several wives. Even when Nathanael came to Jesus prior to the marriage in Cana, he was already addressing Him as a Rabbi, indicating that Jesus had to have already been married to be addressed in this manner.

Yes, the translators, believing in celibacy, tried to downplay and even hide the truth that the Savior was married. But anyone with a sincere desire for truth would be able to see through their deception.

Christian Churches Deceived

Do all the Christian religions in the world believe in this deception of celibacy? I do not know of any that see through it. Every one of them believes in the Church of Rome’s monogamous system, and they do not want to accept any other understanding.

Even our own LDS Church leaders, who teach us daily to be and live like the Savior, forbid us from following His example. The leaders strictly adhere to the monogamous system and excommunicate those who try to follow Christ’s example in this matter, making a mockery of His example.

Thus we have the fulfillment of Mystery Babylon and her children the harlots, who are the Protestant denominations that have bowed to her deceits… including the LDS Church. Here are some of the deceits that Mystery Babylon has espoused:

God has three entities in one body.

God is without body, parts, or passions.

The Savior was celibate.

The first day of the week is the Sabbath.

Rome (instead of England and Ireland) has become the head of the true teachings of the Savior since His martyrdom.

Did not Martin Luther figure out 92 other abominations perpetuated by the Church of Rome? Read his history. He knew that the Savior was married, and he believed that having more than one wife was taught in the early Christian church before it became corrupted.

A Married Bishop?

Another doctored scripture that leaves us with a choice is one in which Paul writes the following to Timothy:

“A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife,… One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)” (1 Timothy 3:2, 4-5; emphasis added).

This quotation can be taken two ways:

A bishop can have only one wife.

A bishop must have at least one wife to qualify as a bishop.

The Church of Rome has a way of sidestepping this quotation. They quote Paul’s other writings in an attempt to make “the husband of one wife” not a true requirement so that it is not in conflict with their belief that all bishops must be celibate.

A Hard Choice for the Monks

Now we come to the final problem with our current scriptures. If the translator did not agree with the contents of what he was translating, he just left it out. It is very difficult to prove that he has done this, as we have none of the original manuscripts he was working from to make a comparison.

The monks, having no wife or family to support and having plenty of time on their hands, took upon themselves the translating of these ancient records. Next to the hurdles of deciphering words and ideas into their own language, the biggest hurdle they had was their own opinions and understanding.

Realizing the consequences of changing scripture and facing the extreme difficulty in leaving a section to mean one thing or another… what could they do? When they came to a passage of scripture which was totally contrary to what their opinions and understanding were… what did they do? They left it out!

Old Testament Omissions

In the Old Testament, the length of the story of the creation is minimal. This is understandable because, for the first 1700 years before the flood (which destroyed all the pure descendants of Adam except Noah and his sons and their wives), there was little to nothing to translate. Any records that survived the flood were held by just the few described in the Bible (Abraham 1:28).

When Noah and his sons passed on, most of the knowledge died with them. What knowledge that did survive was held in libraries like the large one in Alexandria, Egypt, and to a lesser degree in other locations. These libraries were totally destroyed over the many centuries by conquering armies determined to wipe out any but their own cultures. So we have but the meager few paragraphs in the Bible to describe this approximate 1700 years.

These omissions we cannot blame on the translator. From the time of Abraham, the father of the faithful, we have a more complete record, but there are still gaping lapses of time in which there should and still could exist histories and happenings that would put a more accurate light on true doctrine. Where are these records, and is there any hope of ever obtaining their contents? Here are just a few examples of these lapses in history:

The period prior to Abraham and after the flood is missing. Was it around 300 years or more?

We lack a biblical account of where the ten tribes went after they were captured by the Assyrians (2 Esdras 13:39-47). We have the book of 2 Esdras in the Apocrypha, but is this a reliable document?

New Testament Omissions

We have a record of the Savior’s birth and His family’s journey down into Egypt, but we have nothing more until Jesus reaches twelve years of age with His brief appearance at the temple. We do have one or two apocryphal books reporting to describe some of His childhood, but they do not ring true. So these twelve years are essentially missing.

Eighteen more years pass with us not hearing anything further about the Savior until He starts His ministry at age thirty. That makes a total of thirty years in which we know very little of His doings.

In His early ministry, the Savior called the twelve apostles and at least two quorums of seventy (Luke 10:1). This huge missionary effort resulted in converts of Israelite blood only (Matthew 15:24) in every part of the world. These converts and their leaders from every nation were called to Jerusalem for something similar to an LDS General Conference, which we know as the Day of Pentecost. This occurred after the Savior’s death but before Paul was called to preach to the Gentiles. Where is the history of this great missionary effort?

We as Latter-day Saints are made aware through the Prophet Joseph Smith that there are further requirements besides baptism and the laying on of hands to attain to the celestial realms. Where are these covenants mentioned in the Bible?

Although the Bible mentions some of the priesthood offices, it does not clearly explain the priesthood structure and duties. Following this path, we must look further in order to determine what other things could be missing from the scriptures.

We as members of the LDS Church are extremely fortunate to have Joseph Smith’s revision of some of the Bible, which he did by inspiration of the Holy Ghost. In doing this, he inserted many words and sentences that give us a much clearer understanding of many of the scriptures. However, this was not the time for God to reveal everything that was missing.

Missing Doctrines and Ordinances Taught by the Savior

It is only reasonable to think that the Savior restored in His three-year ministry everything necessary for the salvation of man and for reaching the celestial kingdom. Thus His apostles must have been taught about the temple ordinances necessary to achieve this goal.

Are any of these ordinances even mentioned in the Bible? We may have hints here and there, but unless one is familiar with them they would not be recognizable. Any quotations in the Bible referring to them would mean nothing to anyone but the LDS people. Yet there is one very prominent quotation:

“Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?” (1 Corinthians 15:29).

Here Paul was discussing this doctrine with the Corinthians. The practice and understanding of this ordinance by other churches has since been lost. This is just one piece of evidence suggesting that we do not have all of the details of what the Savior taught. So we could ask, “What else of what the Savior taught do we not have?”

There must be a very good reason for these lapses in the Bible to occur. We may find an answer to our question in the Book of Mormon. Mormon, while making an abridgment of the records he was working on, stated:

“And now there cannot be written in this book [Mormon’s abridgment]even a hundredth part of the things which Jesus did truly teach unto the people;

But behold the plates of Nephi do contain the more part of the things which he taught the people.

And these things have I written, which are a lesser part of the things which he taught the people; and I have written them to the intent that they may be brought again unto this people, from the Gentiles, according to the words which Jesus hath spoken.

And when they shall have received this [the Book of Mormon], which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them.

And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld from them, unto their condemnation.

Behold, I was about to write them, all which were engraven upon the plates of Nephi, but the Lord forbade it, saying: I will try the faith of my people.

Therefore I, Mormon, do write the things which have been commanded me of the Lord” (3 Nephi 26:6-12; emphasis added).

Likewise in the Bible, John admits that not all of the Savior’s teachings are there:

“And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written….” (John 21:25).

We can see by these passages that if the Lord wanted us, the Gentiles and the tribe of Ephraim, to have any more knowledge than we already have, He would have allowed Mormon and John to write it. But since we have not accepted that which God has already given, how will He reveal more? This gives us a clear understanding and explanation as to why we do not have in our modern scriptures all of the doctrines the Savior taught and why all of these pieces of history and doings of the past are missing.

What we have remaining today of the Savior’s teachings is in a corrupted form, as evidenced by what is left of them in our church and by what the Masons and related orders have. Joseph Smith was given the true wording and restored these ordinances in their purity. However, since his time, these sacred ordinances have once again been changed and watered down (possibly mimicking what happened to them at the time of the Savior) to the point that the ordinances now have little understandable meaning.

A record of these ordinances is mostly missing from the Bible. Nevertheless, since the Savior must have restored everything, the ordinances most definitely would have been practiced by the faithful at that time. As we previously discussed, baptism for the dead was practiced and clearly spelled out. It is an unanswered question, however, whether the Gentiles ever embraced these sacred covenants. We can find little to no evidence that they did so in the writings of Paul. Since the ordinances were of a sacred nature, however, he may have purposely avoided their mention.

Gospel Responsibility Belongs to the Israelites

Outside the scriptures themselves, traditions in Eastern Greek Christian records indicate the various travels of the apostles. Thomas was said to have visited and established the church in India; Peter visited Rome; Andrew went to Greece; James traveled to the greater part of Spain; Thaddeus went to Edessa; Simon (the Zealot) went to Persia; Bartholomew visited Turkey, India, and Armenia; Matthias went to a place very uncivilized (where there were cannibals); and finally Mark went to Alexandria in Egypt. These traditions are based on conjecture only, although the apostles certainly could have traveled to these places.

Since the Savior instructed His apostles and seventies to go to the pure Israelites only, these men would have gone to where there were colonies of Israelites and Jews already in existence. Unfortunately we do not have the names of any of the 140 seventies. Paul himself was converted around 34 A.D. but was not called to leave on his mission until around 46 A.D., ten to twelve years later. Thus for these ten to fourteen years or so, the apostles and seventies, as missionaries, preached to only the pure Israelites everywhere in the known world.

The gospel has been so quickly corrupted by us (the Gentiles) who now govern the Lord’s true church. But our time is now up, and the times of the Gentiles has now been fulfilled. It took the Gentiles only 200 years after the time of the Savior to thoroughly corrupt the gospel, and now once again they have been given a chance to keep the gospel pure… and what have they done? They have failed miserably!

The time is now at hand when God will take the gospel responsibility from the Gentiles and restore it in its fullness, leaving nothing out, to His fair-skinned, blue-eyed, true Israelite people. These Israelites will be made aware of who they are, and the righteous among them will step forward to take back their rightful place as the righteous leadership of the world, which right their father Adam gave to them from the beginning. This restoration will bring about the thousand years of peace and stability as promised in the scriptures (Revelation 20:2-7).

When the true gospel is lived properly, people gain power which they otherwise do not have today (1 Corinthians 12:14-25). For the time being, the Lord has allowed the Bible to be just as it is, the Book of Mormon to remain incomplete, and the present church to fall into apostasy — simply because people get what they ask for and what they deserve.

Following this path, we must come to the conclusion that the Bible, as it now stands, contains only a small fraction of God’s word. Unfortunately, what we currently have has been so corrupted to the extent that, out of the same writings, hundreds and hundreds of religions have arisen, starting with the “Mother of Harlots” in Rome and her children the Protestant churches (Revelation 17:5).

A Brief Review

The Bible, because of its fragmented condition, accidentally and purposely distorted contents, and huge missing portions, has caused the people to interpret it in hundreds of different ways.

The Book of Mormon only contains the basic fundamentals of the gospel because, under the direction of the Savior, Mormon left out much of what Jesus taught to see if the recipients would live what was given them. The balance of this record will be revealed only once the people have progressed sufficiently in righteousness.
Because the people have rejected the fullness (i.e., Law of Consecration, United Order, School of the Prophets, Kingdom of God, etc.), God cannot reveal more until they repent and until a great reformation takes place when the sons and daughters of Israel take back their sovereignty.

The Savior gave us the fullness of the gospel in His day, though much of what He taught has been distorted or left out of the Bible by evil and designing men in a deliberate effort to convey their own distorted concepts. We also know from the writings in the Book of Mormon that the Book of Mormon itself is incomplete.

Deception of the LDS Church

And what has happened in our age? The most sacred portions of the gospel restored by Joseph Smith (e.g., the school system to be set up by the School of the Prophets, the living of the United Order under the Law of Consecration, the political system which is to be the nucleus of God’s Kingdom, and the Law of Adoption under which our Lord and Savior was born) have all been abandoned by the Gentiles now governing the Lord’s church.

No wonder God has withheld the more important doctrines which He has promised in the Book of Mormon. And He will not release these doctrines until His true Israel repents and accepts their true heritage.

What is the most embarrassing thing in the Book of Mormon for the present LDS leadership? It is that the Book of Mormon continually mentions that the Nephites were a white and delightsome people.

It is evident when looking through the current issues of the Ensign (an official LDS publication) that the majority of the pictures in it are of a black or dark-skinned people. In one recent issue, there appeared a redheaded, fair-skinned, blue-eyed missionary who looked totally out of place… like a white monkey.

Presenting the members in this light is of course to demonstrate to the world that the LDS Church has become as the former president Gordon B. Hinckley coined it: mainstream. The leaders of the Church have coupled their efforts along with the Church of Rome in trying to suppress the knowledge that the children of Israel were actually white and delightsome.

What were the greatest curses that God bestowed upon the descendants of Adam? When Adam’s seed crossed and intermarried with the non-Adamic races — yes, the non-Adamic races — e.g., Cain (Moses 7:22), Ham (Moses 8:14-15 and Abraham 1:21-27), Esau (Genesis 26:34-35), and the Lamanites (2 Nephi 5:21-25), they were all cursed with a dark or brown skin and brown or black eyes.

Influence of the Church of Rome

We have not covered this subject before, but it must be brought to the truthseekers’ attention to help them understand God’s reasoning and plan. We have the Bible, a record supposedly brought forth to instruct Christianity of the true doctrines of the Savior. We have shown in the preceding writing that something has happened to the Bible over the years to make it somewhat confusing. The result has been that hundreds of differing opinions have developed, resulting in hundreds of churches.

We have determined through observations that what we have in the Bible is quite a bit correct and yet has some incorrect doctrine. We could ask, “Why do we have the Bible as it is?” We have determined that this is due to us not being worthy of the truth.

Looking at the source of the Bible, we see that it comes mostly from the translations made by the early monks belonging to the Church of Rome. This was not the true church set up by the Savior but a corrupted form that developed from a mixture of pagan and Christian beliefs. That is why we have what we have today. Howbeit, let us attempt to determine just how this could have occurred.

The Savior restored the gospel for His dispensation. He called the twelve apostles and at least two quorums of seventy. They distributed the true gospel to where the twelve lost tribes were located in Asia and the British Isles (James 1:1). This resulted in true Christian churches being established in England and in parts of Europe and Asia. Then eventually a conference was called in Jerusalem, which brought about the Day of Pentecost and the baptism in Jerusalem of some 3,000 souls (Acts 2:41).

These people shortly afterwards practiced the United Order (Acts 2:44-45, 4:32-37). Their popularity and increasing influence infuriated the Pharisees and Sadducees (Acts 9:31). Hence persecution also continued to increase in Jerusalem. All of this of course occurred while Paul was still preaching to the Jews before he was sent to the Gentiles (Acts 18:6).

So we know from this account that the true gospel was taken to the true Israelites first, with thousands who believed and were baptized. It was not until later that Paul went to the Gentiles. Meanwhile, persecutions increased to the point that the church headquarters had to be moved. However, the headquarters was not moved to Rome, as the Church of Rome wants you to believe.

The church headquarters (at the time of their expulsion from Jerusalem around 87 A.D.) most definitely did not move to Rome. Rome was the headquarters of the emperors who tried to eradicate the Christians and who were the cause of their severe persecution. In fact, we understand that Paul and Peter were both put to death in Rome, having been taken there only by reason of their being arrested because of their beliefs.

Rome would be the last place on earth to where the true Christians would flee! Rather, there is quite a bit of evidence that the true followers of Christ fled to England and Ireland; and when the remainder of the Christian Jews fled Jerusalem, they fled to a place called Pella (across the Jordan River in mostly Manasseh territory).

The true Christians flourished until the Romans overran England between 80 and 90 A.D., when record shows that the Romans destroyed many hundreds of the true Christian churches. This is the main reason the Romans wanted to conquer England. By the time Constantine came on the scene (about 313 A.D.), he made the corrupted remnants of Christianity their state religion. In the meantime, the true Christianity had become the “Mother of Harlots” (Revelation 17:5). Only from the true church being corrupted could this have occurred.

This part of the early history of the church is missing. Somewhere records of the apostolic period are hidden, as somewhere records must have been kept. If these records still exist, where are they? Is this another part of history suppressed by the Church of Rome?

The Church of Rome was not recognized as the headquarters of the Christian movement until the Middle Ages. Nevertheless, the Church of Rome makes the claim that they are entitled to having the privilege of being the headquarters because Peter was their first bishop. We as Latter-day Saints know this to be a lie and an impossibility. Peter was an apostle, the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, chosen as such by the Savior Himself. He was the chief in the church holding the Melchizedek Priesthood, while on the other hand a bishop is the head of the Aaronic Priesthood of a ward.

If Peter were a bishop of Rome, this would have meant a huge demotion from the Melchizedek Priesthood to the Aaronic Priesthood. The Church of Rome can get away with this deception because the true structure of the priesthood authority has been lost from the Bible. Joseph Smith restored the true understanding of the priesthood structure, which proves the Church of Rome’s claim of being the original headquarters of Christianity to be totally false.

There are many reasons why God calls the Church of Rome “The Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth.” We cannot condemn those who follow this religion today no more than we can hold the present-day natives of this country responsible for the destruction that their ancestors caused to the followers of the Savior on this continent as described in the Book of Mormon.

Conclusion

In this discourse we have shown that the translators of ancient manuscripts in the first thousand years after Christ’s time were mainly the followers of the Church of Rome, who were taught to believe certain falsehoods that influenced their translation efforts.

We have also shown that there is no proven record of the translators deliberately changing scripture. But we do have positive proof that certain passages were translated to confuse their meaning so that they could be understood in more than one way. Again we have shown some examples to prove this.

Furthermore, the biggest problem we have found is what the translators have left out, having deliberately omitted much important information. (The book of Acts is incomplete, as the final section describing Paul’s last missionary efforts is missing. James’ record also is not complete.) Fortunately we have discovered this by the Spirit of God through examining what was actually translated. Now let us review some of these instances:

The Church of Rome has done a thorough job of revealing very little of the efforts of the twelve apostles and the 140 seventies, missionaries who were sent out by the Savior Himself in a great missionary push. This tremendous effort resulted in thousands of converts and, for a short time, in the living of the fullness of the gospel, which included the United Order, the plurality of wives, and the complete temple rituals (those same ordinances revealed by Joseph Smith).

Also suppressed is the fact that the identity of the true Israelites was known by the Savior and that the true Israelites were of a “white and delightsome” appearance.

Additionally, interracial marriages were definitely forbidden by God, by the evidence of His making the different colors: white, yellow, brown, and black. Curses and limitations were placed on the descendants of those Israelites who mixed with these other races.

Anyone not of the House of Israel was not permitted to hold the priesthood. Exception to this rule had to be given by revelation through Peter, the head, as the Gentile was also allowed to hold certain parts of the priesthood for a time.

The Gentile did not include the descendants of the heathen or the black mixture (the Canaanites). They included only the mixture of the blood of the heathen and the Israelite.

Rome was not considered the headquarters of the Christian movement. The true Christian headquarters was transferred from Jerusalem to England.

Other things have been suppressed, such as evidences of the true Christians performing the temple ordinances (Acts 2:46), a clear explanation as to the purpose of the Lord’s Day, etc.

The true concept of the priesthood is missing.

Only by living all of God’s commandments can we be worthy of receiving the fullness of the gospel. Of this we can be sure.

The purpose of the previous edition of this newsletter on Esau/Edom was to prove as best as we can that the people we call Jews today are not from the blood of the patriarch Judah but are the false Jews mentioned in the Bible. We have endeavored to show that the lineage of these false Jews did not come through the descendants of Jacob but mostly through the descendants of his brother Esau.

So where are Israel’s true descendants, and how can they be identified today? And now that we have come to the conclusion that today’s Jews are not the descendants of Judah, where can the tribe of Judah be found?

Jacob and Esau

Let us go back to the beginning when Isaac’s wife Rebekah was concerned with the activity going on in her pregnancy:

“And the children struggled together within her womb; and she said, If I am with child, why is it thus with me? And she went to inquire of the Lord” (JST Genesis 25:22).

The Lord answered her request, saying:

“… Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger” (JST Genesis 25:23).

The Lord gives us quite a bit of information here. He tells Rebekah that her twins shall be boys, that they will have different dispositions, and what shall happen to them and their posterity.

Jacob was the second son of Isaac and Rebekah, born right after his twin brother Esau. While growing up, Jacob wisely chose the correct path. However, his brother Esau chose the path of rebellion and did not regard his birthright. Consequently, Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for a meal of red lentils. Thus, Esau was called Edom, which means red. Later Jacob rightfully, through deception, stole Esau’s eternal blessing as well:

“And Jacob sod pottage; and Esau came from the field, and he was faint [because, according to the Book of Jasher, Esau had just come from killing Nimrod]; And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint; therefore was his name called Edom.

And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point of dying; and what shall this birthright profit me? And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he swore unto him; and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.

Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright” (JST Genesis 25:29-34).

This situation caused Esau to have an extreme hatred towards his brother. And this hatred, as foretold by the prophets, would be carried forward from generation to generation right into the winding-up scene, which is today:

“And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the Lord hath spoken it” (JST Obadiah 1:18).

The Israelite Nation

The Bible tells us that Jacob had twelve sons and one daughter, all of whom went down into Egypt for some 430 years and became a huge nation. Later, through the instrumentality of Moses, these Israelites were freed from slavery and, for a generation, were purified under desert conditions until they became a united people.

Under Joshua, the Israelites destroyed many corrupt people occupying the fertile land of “milk and honey” (Canaan). Each tribe was then assigned a portion of this fertile land, and, for a time under just judges, together they became a very wealthy nation.

However, because of their prosperity, the Israelites fell into apostasy and desired a king. As always, God gave His people what they desired, but He also warned them that a king, unless he were extremely righteous, could lead them into wickedness. And that is exactly what happened.

While the Israelites were in Egypt, they kept to themselves and became twelve very distinct groups, retaining the individual characteristics of each one of the twelve sons of Jacob. So at the time that they left Egypt, they were mostly pure Israelite. Despite this, once they came into contact with the wicked people in the surrounding areas of Canaan, the Israelites soon were tempted to intermarry with the heathen nations.

King Saul set a particularly bad example to the Israelite nation. Consequently, after his failure at this post, David was chosen to replace him as king and took the Israelites to their highest achievements as a nation. After King David died, his son Solomon became king in his stead.

At first, Solomon was a very wise person, and the kingdom became extremely wealthy under his leadership. However, to pacify his many wives and concubines, Solomon gave them their choice of religion, which resulted in strange gods being worshipped in Israel instead of the one true god. Later at Solomon’s death, the kingdom was split in two.

Two Kingdoms

The ten northern tribes, along with half of the tribe of Benjamin, became a distinct nation. Meanwhile, the tribe of Judah, the other half of the tribe of Benjamin, and much of the tribe of Levi were left in the south. Hence, we have an explanation for the tribe of Judah becoming separated from the other tribes.

This separation continued for many generations, with the two nations each having their own king. The northern nation became more and more wicked until around 720 BC, when they were taken into captivity by the Assyrians and became lost to history.

We will not pursue that avenue at this time, for what we are trying to determine here is what happened to the southern kingdom of Judah. This kingdom managed to exist for another 135 years until around 584 BC, at which time the house or nation of Judah was taken into captivity. King Zedekiah and his sons were killed, thus ending this line of Judah (JST 2 Kings 25:7; JST Jeremiah 39:6, 52:10).

The Sons of Judah

In order to understand why this came about, we must go back to the time when Jacob, with his twelve sons, came down to Egypt. At this point, Judah had five sons; two had died in Canaan, and three remained: Shelah, Pharez, and Zerah. Also Pharez already had two sons, Hezron and Hamul.

“And the sons of Judah after their families were; of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Pharez, the family of the Pharzites; of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites. And the sons of Pharez were; of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites. These are the families of Judah according to those that were numbered of them, threescore and sixteen thousand and five hundred” (JST Numbers 26:20-22).

After the people of the tribe of Judah were numbered by Moses, the lineage of Shelah is no longer mentioned. Only the descendants of Zerah and Pharez are kept track of from that time forth. Since there is no further written record of this other son of Judah, Shelah, we cannot even speculate concerning him.

What is Judah’s Role?

“Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise; thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee. Judah is a lion’s whelp; from the prey, my son, thou art gone up; he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion, who shall rouse him up?

The sceptre [staff of authority]shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet [born], until Shiloh[the Savior]come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes; His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk” (JST Genesis 49:8-12).

Although there are some things we cannot totally understand, from this prophetic scripture we derive the following information:

Judah would be the main leader in Israel.

In the latter days, the other tribes will be gathered by the tribe of Judah.

Judah shall always have the scepter (authority) until the second coming of the Savior.

The tribe of Judah shall always have a lawgiver born to them until the second coming of the Savior.

“And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die, and go unto my fathers; and I go down to my grave with joy. The God of my father Jacob be with you, to deliver you out of affliction in the days of your bondage; for the Lord hath visited me, and I have obtained a promise of the Lord, that out of the fruit of my loins, the Lord God will raise up a righteous branch out of my loins; and unto thee, whom my father Jacob hath named Israel, a prophet; (not the Messiah who is called Shilo;) and this prophet shall deliver my people out of Egypt in the days of thy bondage” (JST Genesis 50:24).

Descendants of Zerah and Pharez

We are only left to deal with the descendants of Zerah and Pharez. We have three, possibly four, clues as to where they went.

Let us first refer to the Bible which says that the sons of King Zedekiah were killed (JST 2 Kings 25:7; JST Jeremiah 39:6, 52:10). Even so, this statement is countered by the Book of Mormon, which states that one of Zedekiah’s sons, Mulek, came to the Western Hemisphere, most likely to South America (Helaman 8:21; 1 Nephi 1:4; Omni 1:15).

There could still be a few descendants of this branch of Judah here in the Americas. And it is likely that they even called the name of their city Zarahemla in honor of Judah’s son Zerah.

The second clue we have is that, after the people of Judah were taken into captivity by King Nebuchadnezzar, they dwelt in Babylon for 70 years. And because they were industrious and had repented somewhat from their wickedness, Cyrus, the new ruler of Babylon, became a believer in their God. Cyrus also encouraged those desirous to return to Jerusalem and rebuild its walls and the temple.

According to the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, between 42 and 43 thousand people returned to Jerusalem. Among this small group were the true descendants of the house of David through Pharez, of whom our Savior descended. Nonetheless, even some of those who returned did not qualify to hold the priesthood, as they had intermarried with the Babylonians:

“And of the children of the priests; the children of Habaiah, the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai; which took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called after their name; These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but they were not found; therefore were they, as polluted, put from the priesthood” (JST Ezra 2:61-62; emphasis added).

Fortunately, most of these Israelites were of pure Judah and Benjamin stock, and some were pure descendants of Levi and Aaron. These 42,000 people, mostly of Judean heritage, became quite a host by the time of the Savior’s arrival 524 years later.

The Savior’s Ministry

We reason today that the people of the Savior’s day were not aware of what was going on in the rest of the world. Possibly the peasantry and unlearned did not have a clear knowledge of the diversity of the people living in other parts of the world, which was mostly under Roman rule at the time.

Even so, the people in the Bible were described as a most well educated people, among whom were the followers of the Savior. Though His disciples were mostly fishermen, one of them was a physician, and another was a tax collector.

The Savior had other influential friends and relatives, particularly His great uncle, Joseph of Arimathea. This Joseph had a fleet of ships which transported tin and other goods throughout the Mediterranean and even as far as English and Scandinavian ports.

There are legends that the Savior may have even visited England and other European destinations by way of His uncle’s ships. We must not forget that the Savior was a rabbi and consequently must have had a thorough education to achieve this status (JST Luke 2:52).

Early in His ministry, did Jesus not call seventy?

“After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also [this is the second council of seventy], and sent them two and two before his face, into every city and place where he himself would come” (JST Luke 10:1).

Jesus gave them detailed instructions on how to proceed in their ministry. Initially He called the twelve and instructed them in this manner:

“These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and enter ye not into any city of the Samaritans. But rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (JST Matthew 10:3-5).

This scripture tells us quite a lot. The instructions given to the apostles by the Savior were first to go to the lost sheep of Israel, who were to be preached to first. This is significant because there is no record of the journeys of the apostles.

Jesus did not instruct His apostles to go to the Judahites, Benjaminites, and Levites, who made up the bulk of the people around Jerusalem. Instead He sent them to those spread out over Northern Europe and England, and even possibly the Americas. At this time the true gospel teachings went out from Jerusalem to Christianize both England and the Scandinavian countries.

It is no wonder that the Roman Empire later made such an effort to conquer England. And when they finally did so (about 85 AD), they destroyed hundreds of pure Christian churches. Did the Roman Church destroy most of this history because the original headquarters of the true gospel was centered in England and not in Rome?

Not until several years after the apostles had done their work among the lost tribes was Paul called as an apostle in about 45 AD to preach to the Gentiles. (Paul himself was converted about ten years prior to this.) (JST Acts 13:42-52). This is also the timeframe when Peter had his vision to begin to preach to the Gentiles (JST Acts 10:10-16). Inexplicably, during this period of approximately ten to twelve years, there is no history of this huge missionary effort, which, by the way, might have even reached the Americas.

Israelites Easily Identifiable

How could these lost sheep of Israel be identified? They must have had an identifying feature that set them apart from the heathen and the Gentiles. At the time of the Savior, this feature was likely recognized by everyone.

Today we do not have to describe the features of Chinese people; just mention them, and everyone knows what they look like. Likewise, the Savior did not have to describe who the Israelites were. However, He did have to describe the Gentiles, who were the Samaritans.

Everyone at the time of the Savior seemed to know who the Samaritans were: a mixture of Israelite and heathen blood. In fact, when the Savior called the twelve and instructed them, He made it quite clear that the Gentiles were not heathen but were a mixture. Jesus also instructed the apostles not to go to any of these mixed-blood people, just pure Israelite only: the lost ten tribes.

Now we surely know who the Lord was referring to when He said to go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel only (JST Matthew 10:3-5). He was saying to not go to the mixture of the Israelite and heathen, whom He classified as Gentile (using the Samaritans as an example), but to go only to those who were pure Israelite and easily identifiable. He had no need to describe these people, as everyone knew how to identify a true Israelite from a Gentile or heathen.

Jesus called the apostles and, later, at least two quorums of seventies. Then for ten to twelve years they not only preached to the local Judah and Benjamin tribes but also to the lost tribes:

“… I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (JST Matthew 15:23; emphasis added).

General Conference in Jerusalem

It seems from the evidence we have in the scriptures that very few of the Judahites and Benjaminites accepted the gospel. But this could not be the case because, for twelve years or more before the headquarters of the church was moved to England, the headquarters remained in Jerusalem. So when the day of Pentecost came, where was it held? In Jerusalem!

“And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven” (JST Acts 2:5; emphasis added).

All the known territories from whence these Jews came are mentioned (although some locations may have been purposely left out). There were Jews who had come from every country. They were not heathen or Gentile, as the Gentiles had not yet been approached (with Paul not yet on the scene). These were true Christian Jews gathered from every known area.

These people who had gathered together were Jews and Israelites. They had come together for something like a General Conference from every known nation existing at that time. Many of them were brought up under different cultures and spoke different languages; regardless, they were all Jews and Israelites.

“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ” (JST Acts 2:36; emphasis added).

For a more complete understanding of these teachings, please read the following in JST Acts 2:

“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they [apostles, various stake presidents, and church leaders]were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it rested upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans [the apostles]?

And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians [people from England, Ireland, and Scandinavian countries are possibly deliberately left out], we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.

But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words; For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy” (JST Acts 2:1-18; emphasis added).

“Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know; Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain; Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death; because it was not possible that he should be holden of it” (JST Acts 2:22-24; emphasis added).

“Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulcher is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He, seeing this before, spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.

Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens; but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand. Until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.Then they that gladly received his word were baptized; and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls” (JST Acts 2:29-41; emphasis added).

So what does this prove? It proves that most people could travel freely at that time and that, when the church called the church leaders from all over the known world, they could easily make their way to Jerusalem and meet together.

What happened to all the records of this great missionary work? And why does what we have in the remaining gospels lead us to believe that the majority of the Judaic race rejected Christianity?

The Christian Escape

When Roman legions destroyed Judea and Jerusalem in 70 AD, Josephus says that more than 1.1 million Jews perished and that nearly 100,000 were taken captive. In fact, at the ancient Roman Forum, the Arch of Titus (which still stands) depicts Jewish captives in chains and Roman soldiers carrying the golden seven-branched temple candlestick (menorah) on their shoulders.

Yet while the Jews suffered starvation, slaughter, and capture, their fellow Christians in Jerusalem escaped. How were the Christians spared?

About 37 years before the destruction, Jesus had foretold the terrible events that would follow His death (JST Matthew 24). He warned His followers to immediately flee Jerusalem when the signs He predicted occurred. Accordingly, the Christian community carefully watched for the signs and followed the Savior’s warning.

The Lord first identified the situation leading up to the destruction. He said that many would deceive the people by saying that they were prophets or even Christ himself. The disciples would be delivered up and afflicted, hated of all nations. Betrayal and iniquity would abound, and the love of many would turn cold (JST Matthew 24:5-12).

The Lord then taught of two major signs that would alert believers to flee:

“And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh” (JST Luke 21:19).

Jesus also said:

“When ye therefore, shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, then ye shall stand in the holy place. (Whoso readeth let him understand.)

Then let them who are in Judea, flee into the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop, flee, and not return to take anything out of his house. Neither let him who is in the field, return back to take his clothes” (JST Matthew 24:12-15).

Of the abomination of desolation to which Jesus referred, Daniel wrote:

“… they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate” (JST Daniel 11:31).

Unfortunately the New Testament is silent concerning the fulfillment of the Savior’s prophecies in Matthew 24. History, however, shows that His prophecies were realized, revealing the stunning fact that His believers obeyed the warnings, fled Jerusalem to a town called Pella, and thus saved themselves. The early Christian scholar Eusebius wrote:

“The whole body, however, of the church at Jerusalem, having been commanded by a divine revelation, given to men of approved piety there before the war, removed from the city, and dwelt at a certain town beyond the Jordan, called Pella” (Eusebius 3:5).

Epiphanes attested to the Christian escape, according to Bible scholar Adam Clarke, who wrote:

“It is very remarkable that not a single Christian perished in the destruction of Jerusalem, though there were many there when Cestius Gallus invaded the city; and, had he persevered in the siege, he would soon have rendered himself master of it; but, when he unexpectedly and unaccountably raised the siege, the Christians took that opportunity to escape….

‘[As] Vespasian was approaching with his army, all who believed in Christ left Jerusalem and fled to Pella, and other places beyond the river Jordan; and so they all marvellously escaped the general shipwreck of their country: not one of them perished’ (The New Testament of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: … with a Commentary and Critical Notes…, Adam Clarke, Volume 5, 1838).

Pella must not have been the only destination of fleeing Christians, but it was the most prominent at the time. The flight to Pella took place in A.D. 66 during the attack by Gallus. [Before this, many Christian Jews had fled to England, Ireland, and other European and Asian locations.]

Four years later came the fall of Jerusalem” (“Be Ye Also Ready”: The Amazing Christian Escape from the A.D. 70 Destruction of Jerusalem, George A. Horton, Jr., Ensign, June 1989).

The False Jews

History shows that the great missionary work instigated by the Savior was a success. The true gospel was spread not only among the Judaic nation but was taken also to the lost ten tribes scattered in Europe and Asia (JST Acts 2:9-11). By whom was the gospel brought? By none other than the tribes of Judah and Benjamin.

So who were the Jews that the Savior confronted? They were not the pure Jewish race but were those of a mixed blood who were claiming they were Jews. For instance, Caiaphas was not a Judahite but was an Idumean high priest appointed by Herod (JST Matthew 26:3; JST John 11:49). These Idumeans were the Pharisees (a mixture of Judah and Esau blood) who had gained dominance in Jerusalem and usurped the Judean name. What did the Savior call them?

“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do; he was a murderer from the beginning [referring to Cain’s blood in their veins], and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him” (JST John 8:44).

“That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel [shed by Cain], unto the blood of Zacharias [the last true Levitical priest], Son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar” (JST Matthew 23:32).

For a more complete explanation about these false Jews, read the Esau/Edom blogpost.

The Other Sheep

We as Latter-day Saints are also aware of what the Savior meant when He said, “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold” (JST John 10:16). Because these sheep could not be visited through this great missionary effort (although there is some evidence among Native American traditions that the missionaries may have reached here), Jesus Himself visited the repentant Nephites and Lamanites on this continent after His death.

There are so many accounts of New Testament times that we simply do not have, such as the details of the Savior’s childhood and young adulthood. Jesus did not even start His ministry until He was thirty years old.

We also do not have the details of the great missionary effort of the twelve apostles and at least two quorums of seventies, whose endeavors encompassed not only the Judahite nation (located around Jerusalem) but the lost tribes scattered in Northern Europe, Asia, and the isles of the sea (England, Scotland, Ireland, etc.). Why are these records missing? Did the Roman Church repress or destroy these records?

James was a brother of the Savior, and, probably knowing a great deal about the missionary work, knew that the ten tribes — plus the tribe of Judah and the half tribe of Benjamin — were all united together again. His discourse was written before Paul’s missionary efforts, and for this reason James was only addressing the twelve tribes:

“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting” (JST James 1:1; emphasis added).

Jesus said, “… I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (JST Matthew 15:23; emphasis added).

The Tribe of Judah Split

“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits, that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in” (JST Romans 11:25; emphasis added).

So what we have here is proof that the tribe of Judah was split. One branch, the true Judahites, spread the gospel of Christianity throughout the world into every nation, as evidenced by the diverse tongues brought together on the day of Pentecost.

The other half of the tribe of Judah (represented by the Edomite Idumeans) took over the government of the Jewish nation before the time of the Savior. This was accomplished through the instrumentality of Herod the Great, who was also an Idumean.

Herod first destroyed the priestly line of Hyrcanus (Josephus, Book XIV 15:2). Second, to make certain that no legitimate heir of Israel survived, Herod ordered the slaying of all children two years of age and under in Bethlehem (JST Matthew 3:16).

After the Missionary Work

So what happened to the true Jews after accomplishing their missionary efforts to spread the gospel among the lost tribes? They could not return to Jerusalem, as the division had become complete. From that time forth the true Jews would be called Christians along with the rest of the seed of Israel (JST James 1:1). And the Pharisees (who were not Jews but Idumeans or descendants of Esau) would be known as Jews.

We have no written history about what happened during these years. However, if we follow prophecy which indicates that the seed of Judah would be scattered among all the tribes, this is the most likely time period that the scattering may have happened.

Could the missionaries who were sent out return to Jerusalem? No, they had to stay and continue preaching the true gospel among the lost tribes. In any case, this is just one of the several disbursements of the true tribe of Judah.

Judahites Remaining in Babylon

What about the portion of Judah who stayed behind in Babylon? Let us look at what some early historians say as to what happened to these Judahites who remained in Babylon.

The tribe of Dan, or the Danes, had come to the Scandinavian Peninsula along with the other tribes of Bilhah and Zilpah (Jacob’s wives), Naphtali, Asher, and Gad. Gothic historian Jordanes wrote that the Danes originally dwelt with the Swedes (The Origin and Deeds of the Goths, Jordanes, 551 AD) but then migrated southwest and settled Denmark. Later the original Swedes and Geats formed the country of Sweden.

These Judahites had escaped their Babylonian captivity and had followed the same route that the ten tribes had taken into Northern Europe. We should note that, at the time these people made their trek, the climate in that region was much warmer than it is today.

Judah’s Whereabouts

Thus far we have identified the true tribe of Judah:

The first group came to America under the leadership of Mulek, who, seemingly in honor of Judah’s son Zerah, named their settlement Zarahemla.

The second branch of the true Judahites at the time of the Savior, under His huge missionary effort, were split from the Edomite Jews and dispersed among the lost ten tribes in England, Northern Europe, and Asia.

The third group of Judahites, who were taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar, escaped northward from Babylonian captivity and followed the route of the earlier Israelite migration, ending up as Jutes who occupied Jutland and Northern Europe.

Lawgivers Born to Judah

Still there is another branch we have not yet explored. In order to understand this part, we must go back to Jacob’s (Israel’s) blessing of his son Judah, where he makes this promise:

“The sceptre [staff of authority]shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet [born], until Shiloh [the Savior] come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be”(JST Genesis 49:10).

Judah’s descendants can be traced from three sources, namely his three sons: Shelah, Pharez, and Zerah. Though Shelah was born first, after the time of Moses we hear no more of this line.

The other brothers, Pharez and Zerah, were twins. Just prior to their birth, Zerah’s hand came out first. After the midwife placed a red cord on it, Zerah withdrew his hand. Pharez was actually born first, through whose lineage came King David; and by way of King David came the Savior through Mary’s lineage and through Joseph’s by adoption.

There is a question as to how this prophecy could occur about a lawgiver being born. This occurrence happens in conjunction with the gathering, so it could not be in reference to the Savior’s birth because, as we have pointed out, the Savior’s missionary efforts scattered (not gathered) the Jewish nation.

Judah in the British Isles

We have shown that some of Judah’s descendants came to America. Moreover, though we have no record of the timeframe, there is a vague record which intimates that some of his descendants came to Ireland as well. We have strong evidence that, when King Zedekiah was taken into captivity by the Babylonians, all of his sons were killed except Mulek, and two of his daughters escaped through the prophet Jeremiah’s instrumentality.

Jeremiah and his scribe Baruch (JST Jeremiah 45) were taken to Egypt along with the king’s daughters (JST Jeremiah 43:6). Since Jeremiah understood that the Chaldeans under Nebuchadnezzar would come to destroy Egypt (JST Jeremiah 43:11), he took ship with his scribe Baruch and the two daughters of the king, fleeing to southern France.

One of the king’s daughters remained in France, and the other went on with Jeremiah and Baruch to Ireland. Why did they go to Ireland? Because they were aware of some of Judah’s descendants who had gone there previously. The daughter who went to Ireland was named Tephi. Thus we have the Book of Tephi, which tells of her marriage to the local king who supposedly was also of Judean royal blood.

Incidentally, Jeremiah’s party also brought with them the stone that Jacob had used for a pillow when he went to Haran (JST Genesis 28:11). Its significance is explained hereafter.

Edward Faraday Odlum (1850-1935), a respected Canadian professor who helped build the first electric light and telephone in Canada, at first declared that the Anglo-Saxon and related peoples being the lost ten tribes was “pure nonsense.” Odlum later repudiated this statement, coming to the conclusion that it was true by proving to his own satisfaction that they were indeed the lost tribes.

Because Odlum was granted permission to examine the famous Stone of Scone upon which all the British monarchs are crowned, he had the opportunity to prove that this stone actually did not originate in the British Isles. In fact, Odlum traveled to Palestine and found a similar rock formation near Luz.

Charles Fox Parham, who is recognized as the pioneer and founder of Pentecostalism, commented in 1899 about Queen Victoria and her descent from Adam:

“From this royal princess, we obtain, then, a direct and unbroken line of ancestry to King Fergus, who went from Ireland to reign as king of Scotland; and from King Fergus I. of Scotland we get the same unbroken line to the time of King James of Scotland, who himself became king of England; and from King James we get the same unbroken line to our beloved Queen [Victoria], shebeing, then, the seed royal to King David’s house, and therefore the royal seed of King David; she is [was], and must be, the ruling monarch over the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel.

I ask, why does this enlightened nation keep such a stone so many generations if there is no meaning to it? Why, because it must continue with the royal seed to be a witness that our Queen is the seed royal to King David’s house, and her subjects are the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel” (Queen Victoria’s Descent From Adam, Charles Fox Parham, The Apostolic Faith, March 1899).

If this is true history, it would fulfill the promise of Jacob to his son Judah that his posterity would always have a lawgiver born to them, from generation to generation, right into the time of the winding-up scene.

Did Jesus Have Posterity?

As you can see, we now have four different places where the true descendants of Judah can be traced. Yet we have one more possibility to consider. Some believe that the Savior had offspring through Mary, Martha, and/or Mary Magdalene. If He did, His posterity is not mentioned anywhere in the historical records of which we are aware. However, one prophet made this statement, speaking of the Savior:

“Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief; when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand” (JST Isaiah 53:10; emphasis added).

This is interpreted by some to indicate that Jesus may have had posterity. Regardless, if there was once evidence of such, it has been suppressed or destroyed. If Jesus did indeed have children, more information will have to be given by revelation.

Judah Must Be Recognizable

Moving on, we now see that there are several places where the true Judahites could possibly be. But there is a very serious problem in the fulfillment of these prophecies, particularly the main prophecy that the tribe of Judah will be sent out to gather Israel:

“The sceptre [staff of authority] shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet [born], until Shiloh [the Savior] come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be”(JST Genesis 49:10; emphasis added).

How can this be? In order for this to be literally fulfilled, the true Judahites must be identified. Judah’s posterity, in the foregoing discourse, may possibly be identified within several different groups:

The Mulekites in South or Central America.

The Jutes in Denmark and England.

The dispersal among the ten tribes at the time of the Savior.

The royal family of England, through Tephi, the daughter of King Zedekiah.

The possible literal posterity of the Savior.

Despite having this knowledge, a race, place, or region is not surmised, from which we can easily differentiate or recognize the Judahites and conclude: These are Judah’s descendants to whom the promises of God belong.

How to Recognize the Israelites

“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes[not just ten] which are scattered abroad, greeting” (JST James 1:1; emphasis added).

Here James, the Savior’s brother, states in his epistle that he recognizes that all twelve tribes are scattered abroad, not just the ten tribes. So how do we even identify Israel, let alone the tribe of Judah among them? It is possible that Israel and Judah will need to be identified by their physical traits.

Remember that God has said that His people are a white and delightsome people. Possibly this is one way that the race of Israel will be identified. Following are some scriptures that show that God’s people, Israel, are white and delightsome:

“And he [God]had caused the cursing to come upon them, yea, even a sore cursing, because of their [the Lamanites’]iniquity. For behold, they had hardened their hearts against him, that they had become like unto a flint; wherefore, as they were white[skinned], and exceedingly fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my [the Lord’s]people the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them” (2 Nephi 5:21; emphasis added).

“And it came to pass that those Lamanites who had united with the Nephites were numbered among the Nephites; And their curse was taken from them, and their skin became white like unto the Nephites;

And their young men and their daughters became exceedingly fair, and they were numbered among the Nephites, and were called Nephites” (3 Nephi 2:14-16; emphasis added).

“And now, behold, it came to pass that the people of Nephi did wax strong, and did multiply exceedingly fast, and became an exceedingly fair[white]and delightsome people” (4 Nephi 1:10; emphasis added).

For some reason, the Church has changed the word white to the word pure in the following scripture:

“… and many generations shall not pass away among them, save they shall be a pure[white]and a delightsome people” (2 Nephi 30:6; emphasis added).

We have to wonder why the Church did this. Are they in some way ashamed that the Book of Mormon emphasized this point?

We also have a description of Mary, the mother of the Savior:

“… And I beheld the city of Nazareth; and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white.

… A virgin, most beautiful and fair[white]above all other virgins.

… Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh” (1 Nephi 11:13, 15, 18; emphasis added).

As we have shown previously, the Savior did not have to explain to His twelve apostles how the people of Israel, the lost ten tribes, looked. Everyone knew how they looked. Was it because they were white? If that is the case, then can they not be identified in the same manner today?

Is this another evidence of the Roman Church doctoring the scriptures and eliminating any evidence that Adam’s descendants were white and delightsome, just as the present leaders of the Church have done with the Book of Mormon?

How to Recognize Judah

If Israel is identified as the white and delightsome race, that would include the tribe of Judah. Now we are getting closer to identifying Judah. What other feature would set apart Judah from the other eleven tribes? Possibly height.

Speaking of Judah, the Lord said:

“I have set thee for a tower and a fortress among my people [Israel], that thou mayest know and try their way” (JST Jeremiah 6:27).

There is little else to prove besides the fact that Judah may tower over his brethren unless, of course, the Lord gives us further revelation on how to identify him.

Conclusion

Judah’s descendants are the ones — not the people of Esau — who are today’s true Jews who will gather the other tribes, just as Judah did at the time of the Savior.

The descendants of Judah are white and delightsome, as all Israelites are, and will eventually be identified so they can do the gathering of Israel as promised. However, it may take new revelation to convince the true Jews of this fact.

Many things that we learn when we are children are later shown to be generally irrelevant when we get older. Whether Dick or Jane jumped over the fence is irrelevant, while what is relevant is that we learn to read.

God gives us knowledge as fast as we are able to accept it. If He were to give us knowledge any faster, it would mean nothing to us. Many people given truths without asking for them — or asking for them but having the wrong goal in mind — usually do not retain it or eventually distort the true knowledge from the information given.

Story of Adam and Eve

Take, for instance, the story of Adam and Eve in the Bible. It says that God took a rib from Adam’s side and created Eve. This of course God could do, but this reference is actually symbolic. Eve came into existence the same way as everyone else. As Latter-day Saints, we know this because the truth has been revealed to us that Eve was Adam’s wife on a former earth. When Adam and Eve came to this earth, they lost all knowledge of their former existence. So Eve was once again given to Adam as his companion, for

neither of them remembered their former existence. God simply allowed the symbolic story about Adam’s rib to be in the Bible.

The Truth about the Black Race

I give you this illustration to show the parallel between our knowledge of the black race and our knowledge of Adam and Eve. In both cases we, as Latter-day Saints, received the true knowledge piece by piece. The knowledge of Adam and Eve did not come to Joseph Smith all at once but bit by bit. The same has happened with the knowledge of the black race.

So what do we know so far? Where does the black race stand before God, and for what purpose were they placed here on earth?

Curiosity is not enough reason to obtain higher knowledge, and it could result in a resounding crash. But is it not time for us to be aware of the truth in this matter? Misinformation concerning this subject has been broadcast far and wide. As to the truth, do we have it or not?

The Preexistence

One belief of the Latter-day Saints is that there was a preexistence. “You mean to say we lived in the spirit world before we came here?”

If this is true, common sense would indicate to us that we might have chosen things in the preexistence that would qualify us to be born into our own unique circumstances on this earth, suggesting that God would have had to segregate us into different races before we were born. Basically one spirit would qualify to be born into the Chinese race, another spirit into the Gentile race, yet another spirit into the white Caucasian race, and so forth.

That segregation had to happen, and these choices had to be made in the preexistence. Then when you are born here on earth, you accept who you are and make the best of it. God made the different races because we each qualified for where we were to be placed.

We learn in the books of Moses and Abraham that some spirits were singled out to be our leaders because of their excellent performance in the pre-existence. We are told that Abraham was one of these special spirits, and, since we know that Abraham conversed with God, this must be correct. Fascinating, isn’t it?

Among the myriads of spirits, God chose a few to be His chosen people, the Israelites. He foreordained these to hold the priesthood, and then a very select few He foreordained to be His prophets. How do we know these foreordinations took place? Well, how many times did God say to Joseph Smith that the priesthood is from everlasting to everlasting? In other words, it has no beginning and no end.

Receiving the Melchizedek Priesthood

How did Joseph Smith get the priesthood? He actually already had the priesthood before he was born. Joseph was made aware of this at the Whitmer home, where the Lord revealed to him that he already had the priesthood and was told who and how he was to ordain elders and so forth.

Let us review this carefully. What happened in the Whitmer home? In the History of the Church, we read:

“We now became anxious to have that promise realized to us, which the angel that conferred upon us the Aaronic Priesthood had given us, viz., that provided we continued faithful, we should also have the Melchizedek Priesthood, which holds the authority of the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

This clearly confirms that they had not received the Melchizedek Priesthood yet.

“We had for some time made this matter a subject of humble prayer, and at length we got together in the chamber of Mr. Whitmer’s house, in order more particularly to seek of the Lord what we now so earnestly desired;”

They were praying about the subject of receiving the Melchizedek Priesthood, which they had been promised if they were faithful.

“… and here, to our unspeakable satisfaction, did we realize the truth of the Savior’s promise — ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you —’”

This confirms that their prayers were answered on this subject while at Mr. Whitmer’s home.

“… for we had not long been engaged in solemn and fervent prayer, when the word of the Lord came unto us in the chamber, commanding us that I should ordain Oliver Cowdery to be an Elder in the Church of Jesus Christ; and that he also should ordain me to the same office; and then to ordain others, as it should be made known unto us from time to time.”

What was the answer? It was that they should ordain each other — and others eventually — as elders, which is a Melchizedek Priesthood office in the Church. But did not Peter, James, and John need to come and restore the Melchizedek Priesthood first? No, because Joseph and Oliver found out from the above revelation that they were able to function in the Melchizedek Priesthood because they had already been given this priesthood in the preexistence. They were born with the Melchizedek Priesthood but needed revelation to activate it.

“We were, however, commanded to defer this, our ordination as elders, until such times as it should be practicable to have our brethren, who had been and who should be baptized, assembled together, when we must have their sanction to our thus proceeding to ordain each other, and have them decide by vote whether they were willing to accept us as spiritual teachers or not;”

This shows that common consent voting by the Church must precede any ordination into a Church priesthood office.

“… when also we were commanded to bless bread and break it with them [to take the sacrament], and to take wine, bless it, and drink it with them [an Aaronic Priesthood ordinance]; afterward proceed to ordain each other [to elders] according to commandment; then call out such men as the Spirit should dictate, and ordain them [to these offices as elders]; and then attend to the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost [a Melchizedek Priesthood ordinance],upon all those whom we had previously baptized, doing all things in the name of the Lord” (History of the Church, 1:60–61).

The expression “such men as the Spirit should dictate” clearly shows that the confirming of the Melchizedek Priesthood must be done by revelation. D&C 20:60 also verifies this and even shows that these men were ordained elders before being made a member of the Church!

Yes, the scriptures say — and Joseph taught — that it had to be revealed from heaven that a man was foreordained to the Melchizedek Priesthood before it could be confirmed (not given) to him. Oh, yes! A man who was foreordained to the priesthood because of being of the lineage of Israel also had to be living in a righteous manner before he could make use of the priesthood here on earth. That is why he must be voted upon or accepted first before he is confirmed that he can use it. Confirmed by what? Revelation. This also shows that you can hold the priesthood before you become a Church member.

Pure Blacks Are a Noble Race

I saw some pure blacks visiting from Africa at an airport once. They were pure gentlemen dressed immaculately and were using the most sophisticated cell phones (back when cell phones had just come out). You can spot them if you are observant. Most of them have no need of a shave. So is the pure black the seed of Cain? Definitely not.

Now we get back to where we started, where Genesis 4:15 says that Cain’s descendants were cursed; but the curse was not a black skin. Look at the present president of the United States. Is he black? He has some black features, but he is not black. Allegedly his mother was a pure white woman and his father a pure black man. Let us compare Barack Obama with Cain’s descendants.

In the case of Cain’s descendants, the father (Cain) was pure white (this will be discussed in a later discourse), and the mother was pure black. It was from this posterity of Cain’s descendants that Ham took a wife. Was she not a pure black? Definitely not! At the most, she was dark skinned and had dark eyes. She might even have been exceedingly beautiful. At any rate, she survived the flood and carried the so-called curse with her.

So we have confirmed one thing: Cain’s descendants were not pure black. Another thing we have determined is that the pure black race or races are not cursed. The Lord has called them a noble race. Another thing we have acknowledged — and it is quite evident — if Cain took a wife from the black race, where did she come from? This implies very clearly that, when Adam and Eve were placed here, there were other humanlike beings already here.

Cain’s Descendants Are a Cursed Race

We must remember that, when we make these observations, we are dealing with the word of God here. We are trying to view things the way God sees them. The black race and other races existed on the earth before Adam and Eve. The fact that Cain, the son of Adam, married someone other than from the seed of Adam shows beyond a doubt that other humanlike forms existed on the earth before Adam and Eve. This also proves that the curse was not upon the black race but upon Cain’s descendants only — the mixture of pre-Adamic black people and Adam’s descendants through his son Cain.

Noah’s son Ham had children by a wife taken from Cain’s descendants. One of these children was a son named Cush, who had a son named Nimrod. So Nimrod was a grandson of Ham, and this Nimrod became a king. According to the Book of Jasher, Nimrod was a king over all the earth with his capital at Babel.

Do we not now have a similar situation on our hands? We are told that the current president of the United States is a cross between a black man and a white woman. Is he not then on a similar plane as the seed of Cain? It is a question whether he will become as wicked as Nimrod.

So now we realize why the pure black race is not burdened with the responsibility of holding the priesthood. God has described them as a noble people, and they do not need the heavy burden of the priesthood for their salvation. They were singled out in the preexistence to not require the priesthood and the responsibility that comes with it.

God placed each race on the earth for a purpose. Each was supposed to develop separately, providing the earth with diversity. Adam’s pure descendants through Shem and Japeth intermarried with the balance of the pre-Adamic races who survived the flood, excepting the black, and became the Gentiles. God has shown His displeasure in many instances when the Israelites intermarried with the heathen. It is even in the Law of Moses. In spite of this, they intermarried anyway (JST Joshua 23:12-13, 16).

Can the Cursed Race Be Given the Priesthood?

So it is understandable that, since the black race was not foreordained to the priesthood, any one of those that did mingle their blood with the black race had their resulting posterity lose the privilege of holding the priesthood. This posterity — not the pure black race — carries the curse.

In order to hold the Melchizedek Priesthood, one has to be foreordained, and this mixture of the races is not foreordained. If a man tries to give them this priesthood which requires revelation to confirm it, what has he done? He has told a boldfaced lie to God, saying that revelation has been received to do so, which is impossible.

If this priesthood was not given to a person in the preexistence, it is impossible for a man to confirm it here on earth. Therefore, when a man lies to God, he forfeits his own priesthood. This is very simple. The boldfaced lie disqualifies them, not the ordination.

By the choice of the two races to mingle their seed as Cain did, both races suffer. The black race loses their ability to gain their salvation without messing with the heavy responsibility of the Melchizedek Priesthood. And since the white race in them cannot fulfill their responsibility of holding the priesthood, they also cannot fulfill their responsibility to have government over the earth, which was the first commandment God gave to Adam (Genesis 1). So what utter confusion this brings to their descendants! Neither can they accomplish their goal without a long waiting period (until Abel’s seed is vindicated).

Why is There Not More Revealed?

We do not as yet have the full knowledge of what God’s intention was; however, we do know that everything described in this discourse is totally in agreement with scripture, and many references could also be provided. This understanding, with a little common sense mixed in, emphasizes what we are really seeing in these scriptures.

Joseph Smith and Brigham Young were both brought up in a culture believing that the black race was Cain’s seed. Many converts to the Mormon faith were taught the same thing. The Lord saw fit not to correct this concept, just as he did not reveal to Joseph Smith, in a clear understanding, that Sunday was the Lord’s Day (a work day devoted to the Lord, as explained in a previous discourse) and not the Sabbath. The Lord also did not see fit to correct the Bible’s account of Adam and Eve, except to Church members. Possibly these truths would have been too much for the Gentile mind to accept.

So let us sum up. Certain things were understood and said about Cain’s descendants. Many articles from many different religions have been written, including sermons and understandings of early and present-day Church leaders.

Beliefs of Most Religions in the U.S.

The black race was once considered the seed of Cain.

Blacks are now considered equal to yellow, brown, and white races, with severe penalties for discrimination.

Beliefs of Early Church Leaders According to Brigham Young

The black race is the seed of Cain.

The black race is cursed with a black skin. Blacks are forbidden from holding the priesthood. (No reason or understanding is given except that Cain killed his brother.)

Blacks could not receive the priesthood until Abel’s seed becomes dominant.

Anyone ordaining a black knowingly would lose his own priesthood.

To marry a black was death on the spot.

Blacks could receive baptism and the laying on of hands but nothing else.

(There are many references contained in the Journal of Discourses confirming the teachings above.)

Beliefs of Present Church Leaders

Blacks now can receive the fullness of the gospel, including the receiving of the Melchizedek Priesthood (Kimball’s 1978 “Official Declaration”).

Blacks are no different from whites; they can intermarry.

A revelation was taken from the desk of President Kimball by the janitor (who believes a janitor?), and a copy of it was made by him on Kimball’s own copy machine. The revelation was unsigned:

President Kimball’s “Revelation”

Hearken, O ye people of my Church and all ye peoples of the earth listen together; for a new commandment I give unto you concerning my long-suffering and often persecuted children, known among you as Negroes.

Verily I say unto you, I have heard their cries, their lamentations and their prayers, asking that both mercy and justice be shown unto them by the peoples of the world, but more especially in the land that is choice above all other lands. They have bourne their burdens, they have served their fellowmen. They posses immortal souls. They, too, are my children, saith the Lord your God.

It now behooveth you, O ye people of my Church to begin a mission to them, my dark-skinned, negro children, that they may exercise their minds and their hearts and their agency, as others of my children throughout the world have done, that they may repent, be baptized by immersion for the remission of sins and receive the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands by those having authority.

Then, in due season, upon individual worthiness, receive the priesthood and the greater blessings given unto all those who are worthy in the House of Israel whether by lineage or by adoption, it mattereth not unto me as long as they, meaning all people, keep the commandments and obey the laws and ordinances of my Gospel. I am not a respecter of persons. All men may partake of all the heavenly gifts, saith the Lord.

Nevertheless, it is pleasing unto me for the present that all my negro children cleave unto their own in the matter of marriage, and this because of the prejudice of men and the hardness of their hearts.

And now, O ye people of my church, be not slow in making a beginning in this manner, for the prayers of these, my dark skinned sons and daughters have prevailed and require an answer at your hands.

Wherefore, go to now and teach your colored brethren to understand the glorious principles of the fullness of my gospel, that they may receive all its blessings. Encourage all men to be diligent, for the time draweth nigh when the earth shall be rolled together as a scroll and the days of men are numbered.

Today is the time for all men to work. Behold, the harvest is ripe — Autumn is here. Thrust in your sickle and reap. There are souls to be saved in all countries among all peoples, tongues and nations.

Be thou diligent and obedient and my Spirit shall go before you and it shall be your rear-guard. Great shall be your reward and glorious shall be your exaltation in the Kingdom of my Father.

Behold, I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the Lord of Heaven and earth. I am without beginning of days or end of years. The extent of my doings none can find out. Amen and Amen.

When a copy of this revelation was sent to Church headquarters, the following letter was received in response:

Copy of a Letter from the Church

June 22, 1979

Dear ______:

This will acknowledge your letter of June 8, 1979, with which you sent a copy of a paper headed “A Revelation.”

What you sent me is a forged document and was never issued by the President. In the October Conference of 1978, by authority of the President, I presented a statement and am sending you a copy of a page from the Conference Report setting forth the announcement.

An official declaration on the subject, such as the one issued which is known as the Manifesto, will be added in future editions of the Doctrine and Covenants.

Trusting this will answer your questions, I am
Yours sincerely,

N. Eldon Tanner

What Should We Believe?

One must make up their mind as to what is true or not. In any case, the Church has accepted that the blacks can receive all the blessings given to Abraham, against all that has been written previously on this subject. The difference in beliefs is significant:

Belief #1: Any descendants of the seed of Cain are a cursed race and cannot hold any priesthood office until Abel’s seed (posterity) has come forth and received their blessings.

Since Abel’s seed has not even been born yet, the time for the cursed race to receive the priesthood is premature. Are you aware of any of Abel’s posterity in existence today?

Or… Belief #2: There is no difference in the races. They can intermarry indiscriminately.

Zechariah prophesied that Cain’s descendants would be allowed to enter the temples (as at present), and this would prove to be an error. And at a later date this error would be rectified by their expulsion:

“Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah [all twelve tribes] shall be holiness unto the Lord of hosts; and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein; and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts” (JST Zechariah 14:21).

Brigham Young’s Stance

Although Brigham Young forbade blacks from holding the priesthood, at least one was actually confirmed — if not by Joseph Smith himself, at least with his knowledge. Controversy arose concerning Elijah Abel’s confirmation, some saying it was okay and others saying it was invalid.

We have record of Brigham Young in the Journal of Discourses preaching several times, always stating that this race was a cursed race and could not hold the priesthood. The basic reason was that Cain had murdered his brother Abel.

The argument against this curse being passed on to Cain’s posterity is, “Why should the children be responsible for the sins of their parents?” To understand this concept, we must go back to the preexistence. There needed to be a people who would qualify to be born among this mixed or cursed race, and so these spirits were assigned to Cain’s posterity.

Is This Discrimination?

Discrimination is in no way involved here. The true black is a noble race. Let me illustrate this fact: I needed a new water heater, and I phoned my plumber. As he was busy on an out-of-town project, he sent over a gentleman who was a pure black from Africa.

This plumber was well mannered and did an excellent job installing my water heater, so we invited him for supper. He told us of his family and how happy he was to live in Canada. People do not discriminate as much up here in Canada and treat all the various ethnic groups who obey the law with the same respect.

Esau was the firstborn of Isaac and thus was heir to the birthright arising from the direct racial lineage of Adam through Noah to Abraham. Up to this time, this line had not mixed their blood with the heathen nations. Thus Esau was racially of the pure Adamic race (also known as Semite and Hebrew), or what God called the “white and delightsome” people.

Alas, Esau despised his birthright, as he sold it to Jacob (Genesis 25:34). After this incident he also despised his race by marrying outside of it, taking Canaanitish women who were the daughters of Heth (Hethites or Hittites) and the daughter of Ishmael (Genesis 26:34, 27:46, 28:9, 36:2-3).

His seed then intermarried with the Horites (Genesis 36:19-21). These interracial marriages totally corrupted his Adamic seedline, “…which was a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah” (Genesis 26:35).

These descendants of Esau became known as Edom or Edomites, and they chose as their habitation a location south of the Dead Sea known as Mount Seir (Genesis 36:1-9). This area was also known by the Romans as Idumea (Isaiah 34:6) and was located just south of where the Israelite tribe of Judah had settled with its headquarters at Jerusalem.

We know from the Bible that there was a great hatred of Esau towards Jacob which existed even prior to their birth (Genesis 25:22-23). Because Esau thought little of his heritage, the Lord allowed Jacob to not only receive Esau’s birthright but his blessing also. This angered Esau to the point where he tried to kill Jacob on several occasions (Genesis 27:36-41).

According to Biblical prophecy, this hatred between these brothers would continue right into the winding-up scene. How can this be?

In the same manner that the ten tribes disappeared from history, so also did the descendants of Esau disappear, as we will discuss. And, in accordance with prophecy, both of these races are to be identified in the latter days to finish their battle (Obadiah 1:16-18).

Following the Edomites

To continue our narrative in following the Edomites, the tribe of Judah was taken into captivity by Babylon around 600 BC. While dwelling in this heathen nation, many of the tribe of Judah foolishly intermarried with their heathen captors (Esther 8:17).

Then 70 years later when they were allowed to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple, some of these Jews were found to be unworthy to participate in the temple rituals because of their intermarriage with the heathen nations (Ezra 2:61-62; Nehemiah 7:63-64).

After this conquest of Judah by the Babylonians, some of the Edomites then mixed with the Jews because of the close proximity of Edom to Judah (Jeremiah 40:11-12). Then two centuries later, all of Edom was driven out of Mount Seir.

According to Maccabeean records, not only had the Edomites been occupying southern Judah, but they also dwelt in Hebron and the country to its north as far as Bethzur. They were eventually driven from Petra westward by the Nabatheans in 312 BC.

The Nabatheans then occupied Mount Seir, and the Edomites moved into old Jewish territory. The Maccabeean family, of true Jewish heritage, ruled Judea from 166 to 37 BC. Under Judas Maccabee they recaptured the city of Hebron from the Edomites in 164 BC (1 Maccabees 4:29; 5:3, 65).

In 135 BC under John Hyrcanus (nephew of Judas Maccabee), the true Jews were again faced with confronting the Idumeans (Edomites):

“John Hyrcanus conquered the whole of Edom and undertook the forced conversion of its inhabitants to Judaism” (Joseph, Ant. X111: 9:1).

Thenceforth the Edomites became a section of the Jewish people. Here is what John Wilson (1779-1870) said about this in his extensive research concerning Esau/Edom:

“John Hyrcanus, having conquered the Edomites, the Idumeans, reduced them to this necessity, either to embrace the Jewish religion, or else to leave the country, and seek new dwellings elsewhere. They chose to leave their idolatry rather than their country; and all became proselytes to the Jewish religion.

And when they had thus taken on them the religion of the Jews, they continued united to them ever after: till at length the name of Edomites was lost in that of Jews; and both peoples became consolidated into one and the same nation together: – so much so, that at the time the true King of the Jews was born, and Idumean swayed the sceptre of Judea, and was the great restorer of the temple to that glory, in which it was so admired by the disciples of our Lord, before its destruction by the Romans.

Now, the children of Edom were cursed, – and that curse they have not escaped, although they have nominally become Jews. Nay, they must have increased their curse by thirsting after the blood of Christ, as soon as he was born into the world; and by afterwards joining in the cry, ‘His blood be upon us and our children.’

And who can now tell whether this or that Jew is of Esau, whom the Lord hated or of Jacob, whom he loved? Nay, have they not all inherited the curse of Edom, – by continuing in his spirit and behaviour, as despising the birthright, and persecuting the Son of Promise, – as well as by the most intimate intermingling of races?

Is it only here that we are to look for the first-born Israel? But more than this. It would seem that even the Canaanites themselves, who were, emphatically, the children of the curse, were gradually, and at length fully, amalgamated with the Jews, so as to become one people with them” (Our Israelitish Origin, pp. 121-122; emphasis added).

“Say we these things – do we then bring forward these historical truths – for the purpose of disparaging the Jew? No: far be it: – but to illustrate the truth respecting Israel; and to show, that those who were taken out of the land cannot be more lost among the Gentiles, than were the people that remained in the land.

If there was one people cursed above another, it was Edom, of the children of Abraham: it was Canaan, among the mere descendants of Noah: and with both of these the Jews have become most signally mingled, so as to become one people with them, and so as to inherit the curse of both.

As Ham, the father of Canaan, exposed Noah, the saviour of his family, to shame, so have his children, as being the inhabitants of Jerusalem, exposed to shame the Saviour of the world, and that, upon the accursed tree; and as Edom pursued his brother Jacob with constant hatred, so did his descendants among the Jews pursue, with unceasing hatred, not only, Christ, the Head, but also his followers, so long as they had the power. But, shall they be excluded? No” (Our Israelitish Origin, pp. 123-124; emphasis added).

By the way, John Wilson assumed that these mongrelized people will be redeemed, but he should have said that they will be excluded. Here is what the Bible says about it:

“And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the Lord hath spoken it” (Obadiah 1:18).

Herod’s Wrath

We are now coming to the time of the Savior when the advantage turned in favor of the Edomites as a consequence of Julius Caesar making Antipater, an Edomite, procurator of Judea in 47 BC. When Antipater was killed four years later, his son Herod gained power.

Even though the true Judahites rejected him, Herod shrewdly gained the support of Rome, by whose army he was able to capture Jerusalem and become its king in 37 BC (the end of Maccabeean rule).

Herod was an unscrupulous ruler and was despised by the true Judahites because he was an Edomite (Idumean). And because of being a descendant of Esau, he hated the people of Judah. In fact, Herod executed 45 members of the Judean aristocracy to eliminate any rivalry for his leadership. He next destroyed the priestly line of Hyrcanus.

Finally he murdered Aristobulus, the last of the pure Aaronic high priests (Josephus, Book XIV 15:2). Then to pacify the remainder of the Judean faction, he married Marianne, who was the sister of Aristobulus and the daughter of a high priest. Herod later murdered Marianne as well!

We then have the narrative in the Bible telling us of the visit of the Magi and their rebuff of Herod. Because of this, Herod murdered all of the children under two years of age in the Bethlehem area (Matthew 3:7-16).

The Savior only escaped this massacre because God warned Joseph to flee with his family to Egypt. Clearly the perpetual hatred of Jacob by Edom was still very, very active in his descendants even after over a thousand years!

The Mixture

Clearly the Savior was not talking to the true Judahites but to those Jews who had mixed their blood with the descendants of Cain (Canaanites) when He made the following statement: “…he was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth…” (John 8:44).

Even though these people had Judah blood in their veins, by marrying the cursed races they could no longer claim descent, for the Savior said: “…that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham” (Matthew 3:9, Luke 3:8).

Where is this leading? Well, so far we find that in the years just before the time of our Savior, Judea was controlled by Edomites who had usurped the Judahite name, land, and heritage. Now the nation of Judea was under the culture of the Edomites. To confound the matter further, some Judahites had also intermarried with these Edomites.

The land was no longer the Kingdom of Judah but the nation of the Jews. Thus the Edomites became known as Jews, a term derived from Judah, the royal line. However, these Jews no longer had pure Judah blood but were a mixture having only a small amount of pure Israelite blood in them.

So when the Savior arrived on the scene, He was confronted with a totally corrupted form of Judaism. The vessels could no longer hold the wine of purity and were about to be destroyed. Therefore new vessels were needed (Luke 5:37).

Yet Bible prophecy indicates that Edom (Esau) would be an enemy of Israel (Jacob) in latter time (Ezekiel 35; 36:5). How can this be? According to the above-stated information, we don’t even know for sure who represents the true Judahites and who represents Edom (Esau)!

Rise of the Khazars

To find out the truth of this dilemma, let us somehow try to bring to light exactly who Esau is today, as this identification must take place in order for these prophecies to be fulfilled.

This is quite difficult to do, as the last mention of the Idumeans (Edom/Esau) in history as a people is when the Roman Emperor Titus besieged Jerusalem in 66-70 AD. It is recorded that 20,000 Idumeans helped the Zealots who were besieged in the temple. At that time, Titus took 97,000 captives.

Besides those who were captured, many of these — mostly true Jews — had fled before the invasion of Titus to many places in Europe, Northern Africa, Spain, and even America, where evidence of their existence there is written on stone (Saga America, p. 168). They had fled to unite with other Israelites who had gone earlier to these locations, virtually disappearing from history.

Therefore, except for these 20,000 Idumeans, we have only a hint here and there as to what happened to them. There is evidence that when the forces of Herod overcame the forces of Hyrcanus and ended the Maccabeean rule in 37 BC, many Idumeans fled northward and ended up north of the Black Sea.

They mingled with the natives there; consequently the Idumeans and the natives later were called Khazars, who were also nomadic. And in the second century, these Khazars conquered the Slavic people.

Adoption of the Talmud

In 740 AD, after studying the various religions, the king of the Khazars decided that Judaism — being the oldest — was probably more accurate than the other two religions, Christianity and Mohammadanism. Therefore he imported around 7,000 Jewish priests to teach his people this religion.

However, the Jews he imported were the ones who had rejected the Savior and who were not descended from the true blood of Judah. Instead they were mainly of the mixture of Judah and Idumean heritage.

Consequently the religion they brought and taught to the Khazars was not the religion of the Bible but was instead of the Pharisaic Babylonian Talmud. Alas, these million or so descendants of a Turkish and Idumean people had actually imported 7,000 of the Pharisaic Jews!

“The apogee of Pharisaism is the Talmud of Babylonia… Pharisaism became Talmudism, Talmudism became Medieval Rabbinism, and Medieval Rabbinism became Modern Rabbinism. But throughout these changes of name… the spirit of the ancient Pharisees survives unaltered” (The Jewish Publication Society, The Pharisees, Louis Finkelstine, 2nd edition, Volume 1; emphasis added).

So the Khazars were made up of mainly a mixture of Judahites and Idumeans (Edomites), with the religion of the Pharisees — the Babylonian Talmud.

Now we realize that, when our Savior came to this earth in the meridian of time, He was of the true lineage of Judah through David. However, as we have pointed out, there had been much intermarriage of the Jewish nation among the descendants of Esau, named by the Romans as Idumeans.

This mixture had usurped the Jewish name. They had infiltrated their religion. The main faction, the Pharisees, had already adopted a form of religion which followed not the Old Testament but the Babylonian Talmud. What did the Savior say about their beliefs?

“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do; he was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him” (John 8:44).

“Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar” (Matthew 23:31, 35).

These Jewish laws that the Khazarians adopted were not the Old Testament laws but the laws of the Talmud, which are contrary to God’s laws. If one compares them item for item, the laws contained in the Talmud are in direct opposition to the law of Moses:

Bible vs. Talmud chart goes on this page

You can see why the Lord was very clear in His condemnation of this perversion of God’s true law:

“But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.

But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:3-9).

The Savior knew the law of Moses, and He also knew the Babylonian Talmud of the Pharisees (Jews). The above scripture is just a small example. There is much, much more of the Jewish perversion of the Mosaic law than can be portrayed here. This is the perverted law which the Khazar nation adopted, which clearly had little to do with the law of Moses.

More About the Khazars

The Jewish author and historian, Arthur Koestler, puts a little different understanding to it. He concluded that the majority of eastern Europeans (mainly in Germany, Poland, and Russia) — people calling themselves Jews — are of Khazar and not of Semitic origin:

“… the large majority of surviving Jews in the world is of Eastern European – and thus perhaps mainly of Khazar – origin. If so, this would mean that their ancestors came not from the Jordan but from the Volga, not from Canaan but from the Caucasus, once believed to be the cradle of the Aryan race; and that genetically they are more closely related to the Hun, Uigur and Magyar tribes than to the seed of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob” (Arthur Koestler, The Thirteenth Tribe, 1967, p. 17; emphasis added).

Koestler then tries to prove his premise by quoting in his book some recorded history wherein the Khazar king shows that he traced his people to Noah’s son Japheth — not Shem — through Japheth’s grandson Togarma, the ancestor of the Turkish nation. Koestler supports his argument by stating:

“There is an abundance of ancient place names in the Ukraine and Poland, which derive from ‘Khazar’ or ‘Zhid’ (Jew)” (Arthur Koestler, The Thirteenth Tribe, 1967, p. 145).

In discerning if this is completely accurate, we must remember that most of these quotes and records have been made and researched by the Jews themselves. Decidedly the best records that we have about these so-called Jews explain that they are not descended from Jacob (Israel) but come mostly from Khazar and Edomite stock.

The Khazar nation was destroyed by the Slavs of Russia in 1016 AD. Then around 1200 AD, the land was invaded by the hordes of Genghis Khan. These events caused large numbers of Khazars, who held rigidly to their Pharisaic Talmud teachings, to migrate to Poland and western Russia.

They lost their name and became known as Jews, not because they were descendants of that great tribe but because of their religion and way of life. This substantiates that the majority of present-day people we call Jews are not descended from the white Israelite nation but come mainly from the Khazars who are of a totally mixed blood.

Possibly the main reason why the Khazars adopted the Edomite religion was that many people of the Edomite nation who had fled their homeland in Mount Seir in earlier times ended up in southern Russia and became, in part, the Khazar nation, thus influencing the king to choose a religion more in line with their former beliefs. The original stock of the Khazars came from the land of Edom:

“Hasdai ibn Shaprut, who was foreign minister to Abd-al-Rahman, Sultan of Cordova, in his letter to King Joseph of the Chazars (about 960 AD)… speaks of the tradition according to which the Chazars once dwelt near the Seir Mountains” (The Jewish Encyclopedia, Volume IV, 1905, p. 3).

So we now have evidence that the Khazars are mainly of Edomite stock. This is significant, showing who the present-day Jews really are. They are mainly the descendants of Esau, who is forever in a battle with the white Christian race who are the descendants of Jacob (Israel).

Esau’s Dominion

Often we put no credence in prophecy, but let us for once take it seriously. Let us review the blessing Isaac gave to Esau after Jacob stole his birthright:

“And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck” (Genesis 27:40; emphasis added).

The first part of the prophecy came about exactly as prophesied, as the descendants of Esau have been in a continual war on and off with Israel, with the descendants of Jacob always triumphing. However, there would come a time when Esau’s descendants would have dominion (control) over Jacob and “break his yoke from off thy neck.” How could Esau free himself from Jacob’s dominion?

We have traced Esau through history from his location south of Judah in Palestine by way of two different migrations to Khazaria, their identity being changed along the way from Esau/Edom/Idumeans to the present-day Ashkenazic Jews, a total usurpation of Judah’s name. This proves that, even though some Judah blood is present in their lineage, they are not the pure descendants of Judah and not entitled to any of Israel’s promises.

If Israel is to be restored to its promised purity, it would not include any of these mongrelized people. So what is going to happen to these mongrels, and how have they gained the dominion?

Edom’s Motive to Kill Israel

Esau was unsuccessful in his efforts to kill Jacob (Genesis 27:36-41) and, so far, his descendants have also been unsuccessful in destroying Jacob’s descendants. However, they have used other tactics to gain their goals.

When Esau heard that Isaac had given Jacob the blessings of the birthright, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry (Genesis 27:34). This is exactly what Jews do today when they hear someone say that they are not Israel, which we have proven herewith.

This also means that they do not have the birthright that they claim they have. They cry out bitterly with wails of anti-semitism against those who accuse them of deception. Meanwhile, these Edomites seek ways to kill the real heir to the birthright, the white Christian race.

War

The real religious persecution is uniquely under the guise of Judah. The Edomite Jews in the sixth-century time of Justenian massacred Christians in Caesarea and destroyed their churches. When Stephanos, the governor, attempted to defend the Christians, these Jews fell on him and slew him also.

In 608 AD the Jews of Antioch fell upon their Christian neighbors, mostly of the true Judah blood, and killed them with fire and sword.

About 614 AD the Persians advanced upon Palestine, and these Jews, after joining their standard, massacred the Christians (mostly pure Judah stock) and destroyed their churches. As a result, 90,000 Christians (who were apparently Christian Jews) perished in Jerusalem alone (The International Jew, Volume IV, 1922, pp. 171-173).

There is also much evidence in history that the Jews (Esau), if not responsible for directly instigating the first and second world wars, at least encouraged these wars by financing them. We know that Karl Marx was of Jewish lineage and that the Communist Manifesto is largely patterned after the Jewish Talmud.

Stuart Kahan, a Jew, wrote:

“After all, wasn’t the [Russian] revolution prepared and fashioned by Jews? Both of Karl Marx’ (Mordecai) grandfathers were rabbis, and Lenin’s grandfather was also Jewish. And wasn’t Kakov Sverdlov, the first Chief of State, a Jew, as was Trotsky himself” (Stuart Kahan, Wolf in the Kremlin, 1987, p. 81)?

The Jewish Chronicle stated:

“There is much in the fact of Bolshevism itself, in the fact that so many Jews are Bolshevists, in the fact that the ideals of Bolshevism [communism] at many points are consonant [the same as] with the finest ideals of Judaism” (Jewish Chronicle, London, April, 4, 1919).

We have the words of their own people verifying their implication in wars. We can go back as far as 1869, when Rabbi Reichorn said:

“Thanks to the terrible power of our International Banks, we [the Jews] have forced the Christians into wars without number. Wars have a special value for Jews, since Christians massacre each other and make more room for us Jews. Wars are the Jews’ Harvest: the Jew banks grow fat on Christian wars. Over 100-million Christians [by the year 1869] have been swept off the face of the earth by wars, and the end is not yet” (Rabbi Reichorn speech, 1869; emphasis added).

That is a very realized prophecy. Additionally, Marcus Eli Ravage, a Jewish-American immigrant writer, has written:

“You have not begun to appreciate the real depth of our guilt. We are intruders. We are disturbers. We are subverters. We have taken your natural world, your ideals, your destiny, and played havoc with them. We have been at the bottom not merely of the latest great war [WWI] but of nearly all your wars, not only of the Russian but of every other major revolution in your history.

We have brought discord and confusion and frustration into your personal and public life. We are still doing it. No one can tell how long we shall go on doing it…. Who knows what great and glorious destiny might have been yours if we had left you alone” (Century Magazine, Volume 115 Issue 5, January 1928, pp. 347-348; emphasis added).

Russian author, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, once stated that some sixty-six million “real Russians” have been murdered since the Bolshevik Revolution at the hands of the Yiddish revolutionaries. Before the revolution, Russia was about 75% white; today the bulk of the population is Asiatic (http://www.israelect.com/reference/WillieMartin/AMA-2%20[A].htm).

We can see by the Jews’ own admission that their continual efforts are to eradicate the Christians — especially white Christians — from the earth.

Control of Money

Even the youth of this generation are familiar with the doings of the Jews in finance. The Federal Reserve Bank has been proven to be controlled by several Jewish families who have infiltrated every government in the world in order to gain acceptance of their program of usury.

We foolish Israelites fell for this deceit, and the majority of us are now deeply in debt. The world governments fell for this scam even to a greater degree. Most of them are in such debt that there is no possible way that these obligations could ever be repaid.

When gentile is mentioned in the Talmud, it is speaking of either Christian or white people.

“It is allowed to cheat a gentile and take usury of him” (Baba Mezia 61a, Abhodah Zarah 54a).

“It is not allowed to rob a brother Jew, but to rob a gentile is allowed” (Baba Mezia 61a; Sanhedrin 57a).

“It is permitted to deceive a goy” (Babha Kama 113b).

“Jews must always try to deceive Christians” (Zohar 1, 160a).

“Those who do good to Christians will never rise from the dead” (Zohar 1, 25b).

“A Jew may keep anything he finds belonging to the Akum [Christian], to return it is a sin” (Choschem Ham 266, 1).

From these quotations, you can see how the Jewish mindset has been achieved in their control of money, and we as foolish goyim (Christians) have so easily fallen into their trap.

This is the “dominion” which Esau has now. We are literally their slaves. Inevitably, however, the whole house of cards will soon collapse.

Intermarriage and the Media

All along, Esau’s descendants have kept their objective to literally wipe out Jacob’s descendants, the white Christian race. One way they can accomplish this is to encourage intermarriage of the races. They must also control the media and, in this day and age, the movie industry.

They try continually to undermine Christian morals, placing before us the enticing, perverted ideals of the Babylonian Talmud. They especially try to get public and governmental support to enforce laws that prohibit discrimination against the Jews themselves and that even protect their corrupt ideals of racial intermarriage, abortion, homosexuality, and lesbianism.

Rabbi Abraham L. Feinberg once stated:

“If anything, the law should encourage, not forbid, the intermingling of bloods… The only way we can accomplish that, the only [way] we can achieve a Final Solution to racial prejudice, is to create a mélange of races so universal that no one can preen himself on his racial ‘purity’ or practice the barbarism to safeguard it. The deliberate encouragement of interracial marriages is the only way to hasten this process” (Rabbi Abraham L. Feinberg, Maclean’s Magazine, September 5, 1967).

Again Marcus Eli Ravage has written on behalf of the Jews:

“You make much noise and fury about the undue Jewish influence in your theaters and movie palaces…. But what is that compared to our staggering influence in your churches, your schools, your laws and your governments, and the very thoughts you think every day?

…We took you in hand and pulled down the beautiful and generous structure you had reared, and changed the whole course of your history. We conquered you as no empire of yours ever subjugated Africa or Asia. And we did it all without armies, without bullets, without blood or turmoil, without force of any kind. We did it solely by the irresistible might of our spirit, with ideas, with propaganda” (Century Magazine, Volume 115 Issue 5, January 1928, pp. 347-348).

Why were they able to achieve this? It is quite plain to see. When Israel transgresses God’s laws, this automatically happens. Edom right now has achieved “dominion” over Israel by controlling money through massive debt and by encouraging interracial marriage through movies and other media. They truly have achieved their goal!

How Does God Feel about Interracial Marriage?

If God is going to restore Israel in the last days as indicated and prophesied of so many times in the Bible, is He going to restore other races with them? There is absolutely no indication in the Bible that this will be the case.

The scriptures clearly indicate that there is going to be a total separation — with no other ethnic group involved. Do you feel that God will embrace this false Jewish race that, we have shown, has only a small amount of Israelite blood in their veins?

Do you know what is the most vile of sins the Israelite people could commit? Was it not to intermarry with the heathen? Who were those most cursed? First we have Cain. What was his sin wherein he lost his priesthood (Moses 7:22)?

Second, what prevented the Canaanite lineage through Ham from having his posterity hold the priesthood? It was due to Ham’s choice for a wife who was a descendant of Cain. And again, what sin did Esau commit that cursed his posterity? What did God say?

“I have loved you[Israel], saith the Lord, Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the Lord; yet I loved Jacob. And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains [Seir] and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness” (Malachi 1:2-3; emphasis added).

Apparently one of the greatest sins we can commit is to marry outside of our race. In doing so we are openly mocking God, for He has told us so many times not to do this:

“…the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.

For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons; so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands; yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.

And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonished” (Ezra 9:1-3; emphasis added).

“And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land; yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.

Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.

And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel.

Now therefore make confession unto the Lord God of your fathers, and do his pleasure; and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives.

And they gave their hands that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their trespass” (Ezra 10:2-3, 10-11, 19; emphasis added).

If you likewise marry outside of your race, your descendants will be cursed!

John the Revelator clearly describes the Edomites:

“I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan” (Revelation 2:9; emphasis added).

Then John mentions in the following chapter:

“Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie…” (Revelation 3:9; emphasis added).

Conclusion

So now we are quite sure that the present-day Jews are Edomites, who are, even in these latter days, endeavoring to eradicate the descendants of Jacob, who are the twelve (not just ten) tribes of Israel.

Though we have identified who the Jews really are, we do not wish them ill. In some ways they are a blessing, as they have been the opposition that we need to point out when we are going wrong.

How do we overcome the opposition? We repent! If we truly put the Lord first by repenting and correcting the error of our ways, the Lord has promised to fight our battles for us.

We must come out from our hiding places, be identified, and not be cajoled into being ashamed of being a white and delightsome people. We, the Adamic race, have been placed here for a very special purpose.

Who is our Lord and King? He is our Savior, Jesus the Christ, the son of David, an Israelite. Let us take up His banner and show it to the world. Israel! Israel! God is calling. Let us as a people begin to hear His call.

Let us rest here about Esau’s descendants and endeavor in a very concise manner in discovering where the twelve tribes of Israel could be today. We have already successfully traced Esau’s descendants; so now in tracing Israel’s descendants, let us first concentrate on the tribe of Judah.

In this effort we have quite a bit more historical information. Of course all the references we have so far used — and the ones we are going to use — will be challenged with many arguments and objections. However, let us go ahead anyway.

]]>The More Serious Sinshttp://www.millennialnorthstar.info/the-more-serious-sins/
Fri, 01 Jun 2012 10:25:24 +0000http://www.millennialnorthstar.info/?p=293Read more »]]>The Lord has said that if we can cause just one person to repent, then our whole life is worthwhile. I hope by this small journal some people might stop and think and turn from their wayward course, which path may be far different from what you may think.

Everyone who watches TV knows what evil is. You witness it every day. The evils you see are about lying, cheating, hate, anger, drugs of infinite kind, prostitution, illicit sex, and murder. But these are not the sins that the Lord accuses us of (Jesus doesn’t lie) when He says in the Book of Mormon that He sees what we are doing and that He is not pleased with us.

Notice that, in the Lord’s warning below, not one of the above sins is mentioned. “What?” you say. “You mean that not one of the above sins is mentioned?” No, not one! Instead the Lord mentions the more serious sins, the ones that are harder to detect and even harder to overcome. In speaking through the prophet Moroni, the Lord says the following:

“Behold, the Lord hath shown unto me [Moroni] great and marvelous things concerning that which must shortly come, at that day when these things shall come forth among you.

Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.

And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto envying, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities; and your churches, yea, even every one, have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts.

For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted.

O ye pollutions, ye hypocrites, ye teachers, who sell yourselves for that which will canker, why have ye polluted the holy church of God? Why are ye ashamed to take upon you the name of Christ? Why do ye not think that greater is the value of an endless happiness than that misery which never dies–because of the praise of the world?

Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick and the afflicted to pass by you, and notice them not?

Yea, why do ye build up your secret abominations to get gain, and cause that widows should mourn before the Lord, and also orphans to mourn before the Lord, and also the blood of their fathers and their husbands to cry unto the Lord from the ground, for vengeance upon your heads?” (Mormon 8:34-40; emphasis added).

List of sins mentioned:

Walking in the pride of your hearts.

Wearing of very fine apparel.

Envying.

Strifes.

Malice.

Persecutions.

Love of money.

Love of substance.

Love of apparel.

Excessive adornment of churches.

Adorning churches more than helping the poor.

Leaders (teachers) selling themselves and becoming hypocrites.

Polluting the holy church of God.

Feeling ashamed to take on the name of Christ.

No recognition of the sick or afflicted.

Building up secret abominations to get gain.

Causing widows and orphans to mourn.

Causing fathers and husbands (who have died) to cry for vengeance.

This is quite a list of sins and abominations without a mention of lying, cheating, hate, anger, drugs, prostitution, illicit sex, and even murder. Of course these sins are also extremely bad. But the Lord has placed these sins in a secondary position to the ones mentioned by Moroni.

Apparently pride is the #1 sin because the Lord mentions it first. There is a saying: “Pride goeth before a fall.” Pride also says, “I don’t need the Lord, I pretty well know what I want, and I will get it myself.”

There is pride in men as well as women about apparel. Men often spend a significant amount for a special suit or a fancy silk tie that they can show off at church.

Some people covet their neighbor’s new car and go into significant debt to one-up the neighbors. Or if they cannot trump their neighbors, they become envious.

Because marriages are in gross error, strife between husband and wife and between children and parents has caused so many divorces resulting in great malice and hatred.

Because of pride, we think we are better than other religious groups and are superior in keeping the basic laws. We also feel that those who question our pride and point it out are inferior to us.

Consequently we treat those outside the Church with disdain, which often leads to ignoring them, denying them opportunities of advancement in business, and criticizing them behind their backs. This is a form of persecution.

Concerning some of the recently built temples, are such edifices really necessary to please God? My understanding is that we ourselves are the temples, and God wants us to be refined as gold.

What about money? Overextended credit indicates one thing among many others — that we are greedy, wanting more than we can afford. These materialistic tendencies are unfortunately encouraged by very popular books and videos like “The Secret”.

We also overextend our credit to purchase substance we do not need and without which we would not suffer, such as twenty different outfits while three or four would suffice.

Also many of our churches and especially our temples are extremely extravagant. Often we have spent this money instead of adequately providing for the poor.

Just recently a friend of mine was called in by his bishop because someone reported that he was drinking coffee. The truth is he was drinking coffee not because he wanted to but because his doctor recommended it for health reasons. Yet he found his good standing in the Church in jeopardy. Is this not straining at a gnat?

The Lord has said that the General Authorities have become hypocrites like the Pharisees of old, and, because they have changed the ordinances and broken the everlasting covenant, He asks the question, “Why have ye polluted the holy church of God?” This statement proves beyond a doubt that He is speaking to those of us living today.

God says that we are ashamed to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ. We manifest this by our denial of several principles of the gospel restored by Joseph Smith.

I recently read a history of Brigham Young written for young adults, which detailed many of this man’s virtues but did not once mention his practice of plural marriage and the fact that he had approximately 15 wives. Some of these women were previously the wives of Joseph Smith, who himself had, as it is recorded in Church history, somewhere in the vicinity of 33 wives.

Why were these facts not mentioned? Is it because the author was ashamed to divulge that the Savior himself restored this principle for men’s and women’s exaltation?

The Lord says we don’t recognize the needs of the sick or afflicted, citing the example of us causing the widows and orphans to mourn. This was one of the main reasons for plural marriage, as the widow would be looked after by her dead husband’s brother.

The Levirate marriage, or what God has called the law of continuance, has been abandoned. This was a very strict law in ancient Israel, primarily to ensure that widows and orphans were adequately looked after both materially and spiritually after a husband’s death (see the book of Ruth). The abandonment of this law causes widows and orphans to mourn and their dead husbands to cry for vengeance.

We have gone down the list of serious sins except for one — “secret abominations”. When I first joined the Church, every year a detailed account of the Church’s assets and liabilities was published in the Improvement Era. Church leaders discontinued this practice in the 1960s and have since kept the details of the Church’s finances secret.

Nowadays the financial investment of our tithing funds is entrusted to a company called Ensign Peak Advisors. Recently this company funneled several million dollars to build a huge mall in downtown Salt Lake City — not an ordinary mall, but a luxury retail mall. I myself nor any of my friends could shop there, as we could not afford the merchandise marketed.

In the most recent General Conference, H. David Burton was released from the position of Presiding Bishop. The Church has not said that it is in consequence of his objections to the actions of Ensign Peak’s investments of our tithing money that his position was terminated.

So if this is not the case, then what is the reason for the unprecedented removal of a Presiding Bishop? On top of that, Robert Gay, an officer with Ensign Peak Advisors, was just appointed to the First Quorum of the Seventy!

Do you feel that this is how the Church assets should be put to use? Or is this what the Lord is referring to when he speaks of secret abominations?

Now brethren, we have to look at ourselves to see if we are guilty of any of these sins which are sure to rid us of our salvation if we continue to engage in them or if we continue to support those who are fostering these abominations. What does He say if we don’t recognize what we are doing and then repent?

“Behold, the sword of vengeance hangeth over you; and the time soon cometh that he avengeth the blood of the saints upon you, for he will not suffer their cries any longer”(Mormon 8:41).

What have we done here? Because we as Church members have feared men and not stood up for God’s principles, we have caused what God Himself calls abominations to occur in the Lord’s true church.

]]>The Purpose of Our Bloghttp://www.millennialnorthstar.info/the-purpose-of-our-blog/
Sun, 01 Jan 2012 10:57:12 +0000http://www.millennialnorthstar.info/?p=288Read more »]]>Since we started the Millennial North Star and the LDS Awakening project, we have received many comments by readers requesting the purpose of the project. In this blogpost we hope to explain the purpose of our efforts. Note these few observations:

We have never solicited donations.

We have never said, “Join us; we are the only right way.”

We have not set up an organization in opposition to the true church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

We have never suggested in any of our lectures that people should leave the Church.

In consideration of the above statements, one can readily see that our purpose is not to raise money, set up a new sect, or cause dissension. It is an effort to cause the members of God’s true church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to repent and become the people the Lord intended them to be, an example of righteousness to the world.

We believe that the only way this can be accomplished in reality is to make the members of the Church themselves responsible for this effort. Let each one of us take a look at ourselves, not as others see us but as God would see us, and then take the necessary steps to straighten ourselves out.

Temples and Priesthood Progression

We would like to point out the difference between how man and God perceive righteousness. We will try to make it not too complicated but as simple as possible, so we are going to start at the top with the temple.

Today the Church has many temples around the world, most beautiful and profound and each costing millions of dollars. The purpose of these temples (as has been the case in all ages) is to bring people unto salvation. For all their millions of dollars, are these temples doing their job?

When Joseph Smith was on the earth, he spoke many times of people putting up stakes. He was referring mainly to the sectarian churches of the time. The Methodists, the Presbyterians, and the Quakers all said that unless you believed like them, you could not get into God’s kingdom. They put up boundaries which you could not pass.

Joseph pointed out that God did not put up stakes or boundaries preventing you from advancing to the next stage of progression. He said that the purpose of the temple was to help you progress to the highest degree in God’s kingdom. No limits! Joseph called it eternal progression.

The temple was supposed to help you become what? The true temple, which is the individual person himself. Let us quote some of Joseph Smith’s own ideas:

“Men will set up stakes and say thus far will we go and no farther…. What was the design of the Almighty in making man, it was to exalt him to be as God; the scripture says ye are Gods and it cannot be broken, heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ equal with him possessing all power, etc. The mystery power and glory of the priesthood is so great and glorious that the angels desired to understand it and cannot: why, because of the tradition of them and their fathers in setting up stakes [boundaries] and not coming up to the mark in their probationary state” (Joseph Smith, Aug 27, 1843).

Again Joseph Smith made it clear that the sectarian sects set up boundaries limiting their progression:

“…but I want to come up into the presence of God and learn all things but the creeds set up stakes, and say hitherto shalt thou come, and no further. — which I cannot subscribe to” (Joseph Smith, Oct 9, 1843).

These are the words of a prophet of God, Joseph Smith, clearly stating that any suppression of the ability of man to progress is not of God.

In many of his discourses, Joseph points out the differences in the individual priesthoods, starting with the Levitical Priesthood. The purpose of the priesthood is for men along with the women to progress in righteousness with each step. Joseph Smith gave us the pathway and instructions to take us to the highest glory in order to become gods.

What have we done with this glorious knowledge? Are we building material temples that can no longer take us to the highest realms of God’s kingdom? Can we achieve this great goal if we abide by the present limits that the Church has now set up? Particularly, has the Church set up stakes or boundaries that prevent us from attaining the goals that Joseph Smith restored to the earth?

Is not our goal to make ourselves temples of the Holy Spirit? Isn’t that the goal we all strive for? Yet we are like the Israelites of old who said they wanted to deal with God through Moses instead of embracing the higher principles of the gospel and were consequently given the law of carnal commandments. They put up stakes limiting their progress. People today have done the same thing. They even have difficulty in keeping the ten carnal commandments. Is this not like forever being in the kindergarten class at school?

The classes of the priesthood are the key. First is the Levitical Priesthood in which we learn, if we are observant, to live by the Spirit. The present so-called Jews keep this law (in a corrupted form) religiously, rarely if ever reaching any higher goal. This is as far as they can go. They have set boundaries that have stalled them for 3000 years, more or less.

The Savior also brought the true knowledge again to the earth and presented to mankind the ways and means whereby we could progress to become gods. In His own words:

“Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?” (JST John 10:34).

Yet it was not too long after His crucifixion that His followers began to set up stakes which prevented their progress in reaching the goals which He said they were capable of achieving. Down through the ages this has been repeated so many times both in the Middle East and among the races on the American continents described in the Book of Mormon and other scriptures. The people rejected the higher laws in one way or another. Consequently they got what they wanted, and the leaders followed suit, thus attaining the glory of angels instead of gods.

Are these million-dollar edifices, the modern temples, doing their job of enabling us of attaining our full potential? No, they cannot because the stakes we have set up prevent us from doing so. For this reason, we as individuals have to try to attain this goal on our own.

Our goal then in bringing you this newsletter is to make you aware of your choices and that you have a right to demand the restoration of all the deleted and abandoned principles that were restored by Joseph Smith. The correcting of all the watered-down principles of the gospel will enable us as a church to again represent God and his son Jesus Christ and not be mainstream with the churches of the world.

Joseph Smith’s goal was to provide a continuous path attainable by anyone making a concerted effort whereby they could achieve the same status as Abraham, holding the keys of knowledge of the mysteries of the Godhead. This goal can only be achieved without any boundaries or stakes being set to hamper our progress.

Conversion and Priesthood Progression

So let us go to the other end of the spectrum, the missionary effort, which provides the beginning of enlightenment by explaining the principles of the gospel and a knowledge of the Savior to those who have prepared themselves for this privilege. This message rings a bell, and we realize that these principles were taught to us in the pre-existence:

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (JST John 10:27).

Then having faith that the Savior did actually die for our sins and as we have gained this understanding, we then are sorry for the things we have done wrong and determine with all our heart to not do these things again. Next we present ourselves to the Lord and are baptized for the forgiveness of these sins of which we have repented. Because we have done this in sincerity, we then have the ordinance of the laying on of hands by someone with the proper authority, and we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. If the Church is already organized at the time this is done, we are then made members of the Church.

Currently the priesthood has been integrated into the Church, but it doesn’t have to be. It can exist independent of the Church, and it has done so in the past. We have an example in the Book of Mormon in which those holding the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods did not belong to any church organization and were baptized into the church:

“And now I speak concerning baptism. Behold, elders, priests, and teachers were baptized; and they were not baptized save they brought forth fruit meet that they were worthy of it” (Moroni 6:1).

Alma baptizing in the Waters of Mormon

John the Baptist baptized all who came to him, including the priests and those already holding the priesthood. (Of course the priesthood holders had to show the fruits of repentance along with everyone else.) Likewise, Joseph Smith was given the priesthood prior to the Church being organized. It was with this priesthood that he actually organized the Church.

So these are the beginnings of God’s plan of salvation, and we alone set the boundaries from this point forward for how far we wish to progress:

First, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that he is able to do what he has promised.

Repentance. This means true repentance.

Baptism for the remission of these sins for which we have repented.

With these steps accomplished, we are guaranteed the reception of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands to help us in our continued progression.

The rest of our lives we make progress as fast or as slow as we wish.

Peter, James, and John ordaining Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery

For the men, we have the priesthood. We start with the Aaronic Priesthood, which rightfully belongs only to the tribe of Levi, but, until this tribe is identified, anyone holding the Melchizedek Priesthood can function in this capacity. The offices of this priesthood are deacon, teacher, priest, and then a special calling known as bishop.

In order for us to gain these advancements, we must be worthy. We must learn the ten commandments and incorporate them into our lives and actions. If we do this faithfully, we learn to be responsible in every facet of the handling, in the right manner, of all of our material possessions. I wonder if this is being done in every ward in the Church today. We should not be advanced to other priesthood offices until we show by our actions that we are truly worthy of holding them. Our first goal is to learn to function in a proper, fair, honest, and reasonable manner among our fellow men.

Then it is promised that if we follow these ten commandments faithfully we will receive another comforter. Remember, we received the gift of the Holy Ghost after our baptism, and now we are promised something else. It is called another comforter, also known as the Spirit of Christ. So now we begin to progress further.

Joseph Smith taught us that the Aaronic Priesthood was the first step, but he said that when we get this far we are entitled to further progression, even a higher priesthood, the Melchizedek Priesthood. So now we have another comforter to help us in our progression and in the further responsibilities this entails.

To have the Gift of the Holy Ghost is truly an honor, but to have this second comforter is even a greater privilege. We must live very close to God to enable us to keep this privilege, for by this time we have totally accepted God’s will and will make more of the right choices. If we do this correctly, God will be there to protect us. It will be like living a terrestrial existence.

We are now worthy to take upon us the Melchizedek Priesthood, starting at the office of an elder. It is a great privilege, for now we are responsible for others whom the Lord has placed in our care. We are to direct the responsibility of not only their material welfare but their spiritual welfare also. How we succeed in doing this takes us into the next levels as we progress in perfection to seventy, high priest, and on to eventually gain the highest priesthood, even a patriarch like Abraham, which is the beginning stage of learning to be a god.

Concerning the women, they cannot function in the priesthood alone but jointly own the priesthood with their husband. Consequently, women may only progress in the priesthood along with their husband.

Joseph Smith tried to make this all very plain. The plan of salvation did not stop anywhere along the way. He defined, as clearly as he could, each step necessary to prepare for the next step, depending upon our willingness and efforts.

Before Joseph Smith died, he passed on to his successors all the keys, which were the keys of knowledge, for these ordinances to continue being performed under the proper authority after he was gone.

There were to be no stakes or boundaries that would prevent anyone from obtaining all of the goals necessary to achieve the ultimate goal of godhood. Helping us succeed in this endeavor was Joseph Smith’s ultimate goal. So now we look at what we have left of his goal and what stakes and boundaries we have placed in our pathway to prevent us from achieving this objective.

Joseph Smith showed us that all the religious sects of his time had set up stakes or boundaries that basically said that you cannot progress any further but should just do what they say. Would Joseph find that the Church he restored under the guidance of the heavens, since his demise, has set up stakes forbidding you to go any further? Now the Church tells us to do only what they say or suffer the consequences. Let us determine if there have been any stakes or boundaries that have been set up in the Church that presently prevent us from reaching the highest degrees in the celestial realms.

United Order

What about the United Order where all things were to be equal? Great emphasis was placed upon this principle in the first stages of Joseph Smith’s endeavors in establishing God’s kingdom upon the earth before 1839. However, after the Saints’ attempts in the establishment of the United Order in Missouri were smashed, the effort to live this principle seems to have been placed on the back burner. Although not abandoned, in Nauvoo not much emphasis was given to establishing the United Order.

The United Order was set up in Orderville, Utah, in the 1870s

Joseph Smith possibly hoped that he could reestablish it at a later time. When he had the premonition of his death, he passed on to his apostles all the keys he held, including the knowledge of how each function was to be set up, hoping that they, his apostles, would make the effort of accomplishing these goals after his death.

Brigham Young, having been given these keys, made a concerted effort to establish this order in Utah. (He tried 27 times.) However, all efforts to do so finally ended in failure, the last elements of these efforts being made in Orderville and Brigham City. Now we could ask two big questions:

When in history was this principle lived successfully?

Is living this principle necessary for our obtaining the celestial kingdom?

First, we know that this was lived by Enoch and his people, then again for a short period at the time of the Savior in Jerusalem, and then for at least 200 years (and longer among small groups) after Christ’s appearance in America among the Nephites and Lamanites.

Second, is it necessary for our salvation? Let us look to the directions received by Joseph Smith on April 23, 1834. Speaking of the United Order:

“…which I commanded to be organized and established, to be a united order, and an everlasting order for the benefit of my church, and for the salvation of men until I come—

With promise immutable and unchangeable, that inasmuch as those whom I commanded were faithful they should be blessed with a multiplicity of blessings;

But inasmuch as they were not faithful they were nigh unto cursing” (D&C 104:1-3).

Two months later, however, the Lord said:

“Therefore, in consequence of the transgressions of my people, it is expedient in me that mine elders should wait for a little season for the redemption of Zion—” (D&C 105:9).

It looks like this was one of the major requirements to reach the celestial kingdom, for the Lord said:

“And Zion cannot be built up unless it is by the principles of the law of the celestial kingdom; otherwise I cannot receive her unto myself” (D&C 105:5).

It says right here that we cannot get into the celestial kingdom without living this principle. The people failed at this point as a group, just like the Israelites failed at the time of Moses. Even before the martyrdom of the prophet, the people set up the first major stake or boundary in preventing them from gaining the celestial kingdom.

So what did Joseph Smith do? He, like Moses, had to retract and go back to the laws of the ten commandments, that perhaps a few instead of the majority would accept this principle later on. That was one big boundary the people set up themselves, and, except for the efforts of Brigham Young, it has never been reestablished.

Law of Adoption

There was also the Law of Adoption. This law was talked about much in the early church, especially in priesthood meetings, but was it fully understood? This law stipulated that when a person was converted to the Church, they were to teach the principles to their father, mother, and family. If the family totally rejected their message and cast them out of their home, then this person had a right to seek a new father and mother by revelation.

We do not know how faithfully this principle was kept; however, records show that it was kept to some degree among a few families. But rarely was the new surname adopted, and eventually this principle was abandoned. Regardless, we have many sermons by Joseph Smith emphasizing the importance of tracing our lineage and being united in the eternities as a family. Our understanding is that the attainment of the celestial kingdom cannot be accomplished without the principle of adoption, which, for it to continue, would require continual revelation.

The principle of adoption made it possible for everyone to be cared for and looked after, not only in this life but in the hereafter. As recorded in two different gospels, Jesus Himself made us a promise if we would live the laws of God faithfully:

“And every one that has forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive a hundred-fold, and shall inherit everlasting life” (JST Matthew 19:29).

“And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake and the gospel’s,

But he shall receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come, eternal life.” (JST Mark 10:28-29).

This great promise could only be realized by the principle of adoption, which was restored by Joseph Smith. And what did he say about it?

“It is one thing to see the kingdom of God, and another thing to enter into it. We must have a change of heart to see the kingdom of God, and subscribe the articles of adoption to enter therein….

No man can receive the Holy Ghost without receiving revelation. The Holy Ghost is a revelator” (Joseph Smith, History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 6:58).

Joseph Smith is saying that we must subscribe the articles of adoption to be in the Kingdom of God. Have we not put up another boundary preventing us from entering the Kingdom of God by abandoning this principle? Again all these gifts and keys were passed on by Joseph Smith to his apostles. The knowledge of these ordinances has now been lost or atrophied, and yet another boundary has been set.

Plural Marriage

Now let us discuss the Mormon fundamentalists’ favorite subject, the principle of plural marriage. No one can possibly deny that the fundamentalist movement in general (as practiced today) has made a total mockery of the principle of plural marriage. Not only have they made it a mockery, but they have also caused it to be an abomination and an embarrassment for us in the LDS Church.

Brigham Young pictured with some of his wives

Joseph Smith established the foundations of this principle and passed on the authority to establish it to his apostles for them to continue to develop what he brought forth. The question is have they done what they were commissioned to do? Let us briefly review. Joseph Smith understood and practiced this long before D&C 132 was published on July 12, 1843:

“Although the revelation was recorded in 1843, it is evident from the historical records that the doctrines and principles involved in this revelation had been known by the Prophet since 1831” (Preface to D&C 132).

It is clearly understood when you read this revelation that in order for anyone to reach the highest degree in the celestial realms, they must be sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise (the Holy Ghost by revelation). And in order to reach the state of godhood, they must do all of the works of Abraham.

In ancient Israel and even before the time of Jacob, there was an irrevocable law of God which required some men to have more than one wife. This law mandated that if a brother died and left a widow (with or without children), the eldest brother or next of kin must look after her material needs and, if the widow were still of child-bearing age, raise up children to his fallen brother. This was part of his responsibility as a priesthood holder so that his fallen brother would not be childless. If it were not the fallen brother’s fault that he had lost his life (and especially if he had been performing a valiant deed such as heroism in battle), why would he be left out of having this privilege?

We have a perfect example of this form of marriage in JST Ruth 4:1-12. It is called Levirate marriage (LDS Bible Dictionary, page 724). Even at the time of the Savior, this form of marriage was still in effect (JST Matthew 22:23). Levirate marriage is an extremely important part of God’s law. This is the way He helps the widow and orphan and how He enables the deceased who are entitled to these blessings to still gain a rightful posterity.

Boaz finds Ruth gleaning in his field

Not living this law of Levirate marriage is yet another example of a barrier or stake being placed in the way of many of us reaching the highest degree in the celestial kingdom. Regardless, in order to live this law correctly, the Law of Adoption would also have to be enforced.

Let us review the development of the principle of plural marriage:

Joseph Smith received knowledge (keys) of this principle as early as 1831.

For many years he kept this knowledge to himself, knowing that such knowledge among the ignorant and wicked could cause great trouble.

Somewhere between 1831 and 1843, Joseph Smith was confronted by an angel brandishing a sword with a stern warning that, if he did not live this principle, he would no longer be a spokesman for God and would be destroyed. If you want to read the details on how he handled the plural marriage affair, read Comprehensive History of the Church by B. H. Roberts, Volume 2, Chapter XLV, starting page 93.

Now is there any doubt that plural marriage is necessary as a requirement to become a god?

Conclusion

These are the main stakes or boundaries that we, the members of the Church in our time, have caused to be adopted. This parallels the time of Moses when the Israelites were prevented from entering Canaan.

You may think that these items will all be restored during the Millennium. In this you are correct; but, for the present, only those who have held faithfully these principles in their hearts and would have lived them if the laws of the land had allowed them to do so will be considered for entrance into God’s kingdom. Even if you regularly attend church, go to the temple, and support all the present church activities, you will not find a place in the Lord’s kingdom if you openly ridicule and persecute those who will not deny these principles but instead try to live them in their heart.

To reap the benefit therefrom, you must live these true principles as best as you can while on the earth. There is no free lunch. Your works equal your rewards. These principles must be lived in this life, not in the next. Don’t you think that those who forbid it will be under great condemnation?

How can we become gods if we do not fulfill all of these requirements? We simply cannot. There are many other boundaries besides these that have been set up. For example, can we say that even the simple steps to baptism have not been watered down? Because the elders are under such pressure to obtain converts, the principle of true repentance by converts is not always adhered to and made mandatory. Also, when a child reaches the age of eight, are they also clearly required to understand the responsibility and seriousness of baptism?

If our efforts to get into the celestial kingdom are not initiated correctly, will not our future efforts be in vain? The Lord has paralleled our efforts for eternal salvation with a refiner’s fire, which separates gold from any other material. The Lord wants pure gold in His kingdom, and His way is the only way we can attain to this state. There is no other way.

The Bible and other ancient scriptures teach us that in the preexistence there was a war in heaven:

“And there was war in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought against Michael. And the dragon prevailed not against Michael….

Neither was there place found in heaven for the great dragon, who was cast out; that old serpent called the devil, and also called Satan, which deceiveth the whole world; he was cast out into the earth; and his angels were cast out with him.

Woe to the inhabiters of the earth, yea, and they who dwell upon the islands of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

Therefore, the dragon was wroth with the woman [her seed], and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (JST Revelation 12:6-8, 12, 17).

“Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down;

And he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice” (Moses 4:3-4).

The preceding verses have clearly explained that the reason for this war was over one principle, free agency.

Apparently our elder spiritual brother, our Savior, had different plans from those of the Adversary. Up to the time of the war in heaven, the spirits who were brought into existence under Michael, their father, did have this privilege of free agency (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 157 & 167).

They were given the freedom to choose whether they would follow the Savior’s plan, in which they would continue this principle when these spirits were born on this earth with a physical body, or whether they would choose the Adversary’s plan, in which they would come down to the earth without having this privilege.

The Adversary’s plan was that every one of the spirits coming down to the earth would be redeemed without the principle of having a choice. The Savior’s plan was that each spirit would have the right to choose as he or she pleased. Only those who worked diligently would have glory given to them or be redeemed to a glorified status, each according to their efforts. That is what the war in heaven was all about.

Those who chose to follow the Adversary found out quickly that they had made the wrong choice because, as soon as their minds were made up to follow this course, they were denied the privilege of obtaining a physical body through birth.

One third of the spirit children of Michael actually made this choice. So what happened to them? We are told that they were cast down to the earth as spirits, not having the right to be born and receive a physical body. Most of them likely were just of a lazy nature; they did not want to work for their salvation but wanted it handed to them on a platter. By their choice they had completely lost their ability to progress. In other words, they were damned.

The other two thirds of Michael’s children agreed to come down to the earth and have the right to make choices. Among these two thirds were the few who were extremely enthusiastic; because of their attitude, they were chosen to be our leaders.
Another large number were quite happy about this plan and shouted for joy. Then there was a multitude that were a mix of every kind, some fairly in agreement and some not totally so.

Because of their varying attitudes, they were assigned different circumstances here on the earth for which they were most suited. This was a just and perfect system so that, when we would arrive on the earth, we would be placed in the most advantageous place in which we could be for our individual progression.

This Same War Continues Today

With this understanding of the pre-existence, we can see that we are still fighting this same war! And right now the Adversary, knowing his time is short, is using every means possible to gain as many followers as he can.

So this war in heaven occurred over one main principle, free agency. Today this same principle is at stake.

After reading the two aforementioned scripture references (and we could quote many more), does it not dawn on you that the main objective of this one third of heaven’s hosts is to steal our bodies from us? They don’t have a body, and the only way they can get one is to steal one of ours. And they have a right to do this if we willfully disobey God’s commandments.

“…And to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice” (Moses 4:3-4).

They can achieve this goal of stealing our bodies by getting us to rebel against God. This is their main objective. They do this in very subtle ways. So do you think that this could not possibly happen to you? Think about this: Are we not rebelling against God by going along with the status quo?

Are we going along with and find satisfaction with the present political system? Are we accepting the present school curriculum? Are we going along with the present medical system which is being forced upon us? Are we going along with the present food choices placed so temptingly before us? And finally, are we going along with the banking system?

If we are going along with all of the above corrupt institutions, backed and controlled by big government, then we have already been taken over by the Adversary. And if we are doing nothing to rectify the situation, then already that evil spirit has taken over our bodies by controlling every aspect of our lives. We are following the Adversary’s way by voluntarily giving up most of our free agency. In the following discourse we make our best effort to expose the ways and means that the Adversary is using these institutions to enslave us.

We are now at a point in time in which this one third of the host of heaven, knowing that their time is extremely short, is making every effort to obtain a body by stealth. And how do they do this? Under the direction of the Adversary, they do all in their power to take away this very special gift by putting us under bondage. The Adversary has been very successful so far, as one can easily ascertain.

It is our goal and responsibility to explain as briefly as possible how the Adversary has been so successful and how we can thwart his efforts. Some believe it is too late for this, but it is not.

Now how do we come under bondage? We come under bondage by rejecting God’s law and accepting the precepts of the Adversary. Joseph Smith made this clear when he gave a message to the Saints on January 5th, 1841:

“All beings who have bodies have power over those who have not. The [Adversary] has no power over us only as we permit him. The moment we revolt at anything which comes from God, the [Adversary] takes power” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 181).

So when we reject God’s commandments, then the Adversary has power over us without us even knowing it!

We priesthood holders and also every member of the Lord’s true church must be made aware of the conspiracies that do exist.

What are these conspiracies, and how do they affect our lives? We will try to make you aware of the main ones. These larger conspiracies, along with many of the smaller ones (which we are unable to cover), if left to complete their course, will leave us as mere slaves, burdened with untold taxes and unprincipled, dictatorial laws, which is the Adversary’s plan. If this is what we want, we should then do nothing!

We, however, have faith that, as God’s people, we will not let this happen. This great conspiracy has influenced not only our own church, which we believe is the only one recognized by God as His true representation on the earth today, but it also involves the country we live in.

There are four major organizations which have been totally infiltrated by the Adversary. Number one is the government, the second one is the banks, and, believe it or not, the third and fourth are the food and medical establishments. The Adversary has taken hold of these four consortiums and is using them to literally enslave us.

Government

The Founding Fathers, we believe by divine guidance, established a constitution closer to God’s laws than any other government since the establishment of the Israelite nation under Moses and Joshua. The only other nation that developed a government as close to God‘s laws as the Israelites was that one established anciently by the twelve apostles under the Savior here in the Americas.

What has happened to this constitution developed by the Founding Fathers? The central government was designed to have powers limited to seeing that existing laws are properly and equally enforced, that the military protects against outside invasion, and that interstate matters (i.e. traffic, roads, and boundaries) are properly mandated. All other matters involving the states’ jurisdiction, such as education, should be left alone by the federal government.

God did not intend that the central government should become so large. Big government requires dictatorial powers to keep it big. The Founding Fathers realized that if this were to happen, the God-given gift of free agency would be slowly eroded, continually restricted, and eventually done away with, resulting in these powers dictating every aspect of our lives.

Such a situation has now come about. The main reason is that there are, at the present time, more people who want to be led in this manner than those who don’t. This means that they want to be slaves rather than free agents. Just look at how they vote for those politicians who promise more and more free privileges without the voters having to work for them. This is the primary reason why big government has taken over.

The same scenario as what happened in the pre-existence is being re-enacted now. The two thirds of Michael’s children, who accepted the principle of being a free agent and who previously had the power to expose the Adversary in his plan, are now willingly embracing these same principles. To overcome this, we must do all we can as priesthood holders to expose the Adversary and his tactics by rejecting huge coercive government and restoring the Founding Fathers’ principles based on God’s laws.

The Adversary’s goal has always been to take from us our free agency in every respect. He has done this by infiltrating every major influence in our lives. We have been totally deceived and have unwittingly accepted the same plan presented to us by the Adversary in the pre-existence!

If we continue on in this path, will we not then reap the same reward as those who have been denied entering this existence by the birth process? We will lose our own body by allowing it to be taken over by one of those spirits. Watch out! Would you like this to happen to you? It may have already happened without you even knowing about it.

One of the ways the Adversary has done this is by infiltrating the government. But until we realize that this has happened because of the people’s desires, this condition will continue to accelerate, resulting in a global government based on total control and containment of the people.

Right now the majority of the people of the world want this to happen. They are compromising their free agency to give them a supposed promised security. Is this what we want? We have to make a choice. It is that simple and that crucial.

The same battle as what occurred in the heavens is now being re-enacted upon the earth. The form of government we have is really in our hands. Do we have the gumption to stand up against the forces of the Adversary? Yes, we do, and we must do it correctly and now.

Medical

We have pointed out the coercive devices used by big government, but there are also forces being used to give up our agency in every other aspect of our lives. There is indisputable evidence that man can live very successfully for at least one hundred years or longer. This was prophesied:

“In those days there shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days; for the child shall not die, but shall live to be an hundred years old….” (JST Isaiah 65:20).

The medical establishment, because of the direction it has taken, prevents this prophecy from happening. The object of the present medical system is to keep the people alive long enough to subject them to as many medical procedures and pharmaceutical drugs as possible, thereby extracting the maximum amount of money from the people all along the way. We must remove ourselves from this present system.

Medical professionals have totally disregarded God’s express direction in these matters. God has directed the use of herbs and mild foods which, when understood correctly, are able to cure all diseases.

In order for big corporations to make money, their discoveries must be patented. Since they cannot patent an herb, they try to synthesize God’s creations and, in so doing, create not a perfect copy but a pseudo replication that causes many side effects. Even though these drugs somewhat help the victim’s problems, they weaken and compromise other parts of their body, progressively causing irreparable damage resulting in horrible, excruciating, painful deaths.

We have, in opposition to these mainstream horrors, a few brave doctors who are following the true path of locating herbs, healing foods, and natural procedures that prevent and cure all the maladies that men have to face during their existence on this earth.

Even then, these brave efforts are somewhat thwarted by the Evil One who infiltrates these good efforts by encouraging a few greedy men to try to capitalize on them. These men do so by feigning true research and presenting false claims for substances that have no recognizable medical benefit, all in the name of making a profit.

So we have the Adversary coming from all sides by taking over the medical establishment, not to benefit man but to make us suffer. At the same time the medical establishment makes huge profits on account of our suffering. We allow ourselves to be easily fooled by the Adversary because we desire the promise of security over self-determination and free agency.

When we go to a medical professional today, we no longer have freedom to choose. When a doctor tries to use the herbs that God has provided, his efforts are thwarted on all sides because the money we have paid to the health insurance company is not permitted to be released in order to cover this doctor’s services. People who cannot afford these services without insurance reimbursement have forcefully had their freedom of choice taken away and are compelled to contend with the established medical system. Again we have given up our free agency for the promise of security.

Banking

So far we have covered only two aspects of compromising our free agency for this so-called security. We need to cover two more major influences in our lives that we have allowed to be frittered away. The next one is the handling of our finances.

Because of our greed and desire for self-gratification, we have compromised our free agency by oppressive debt. Does anyone disagree that debt is extremely oppressive and coercive? I don’t think so. The Adversary has infiltrated and corrupted all good things including the present monetary system.

Now we can go to our banks and lending institutions, and, if we compromise the things we already own by placing a mortgage on them, we can obtain money for practically anything we want. Our desires have taken over our common sense to the point that, except for a few wise people, we have lost additional free agency by going into extreme debt. And we pay dearly for this privilege!

Instead of simple interest, we pay compound interest. How many people understand the difference between the concepts of simple interest and compound interest or have even heard of the difference between the two?

Yes, a person should get a little remuneration for providing a service that the banks provide. This is only fair; however, charging interest on anything other than the principal amount (by adding interest on the interest before charging further interest) is not according to fairness and justice. Interest should only be charged on the initial amount with no further interest being charged until each payment is deducted first. This concept can hardly be understood today, and people are so indoctrinated in the system that it doesn’t even come to their minds.

Many of the older generation understood the concept that the cost of compound interest being charged on a large mortgage is considerable. But today most of us have been indoctrinated by the system. It is a simple matter to make the change; deduct the payment from the principal amount before charging additional interest.

Another major corruption is that the monetary system has changed from the gold standard to a fiat currency. Up to the 1970s, currency was based on the gold standard. Gold had to be available for all printed money in existence. The course of abandoning the gold standard was taken by the government because, even before 1970, there was insufficient gold to account for a small fraction of the money printed.

It was reasonable to admit the façade; consequently the gold standard was abandoned. Now money is printed indiscriminately without thought of the eventual consequences. This system, when unchecked, has proven to eventually result in the total collapse of any monetary system. When this happens to us, money will then be worth only the value of the paper it is printed on. How much is the cost of a small, rag-content piece of paper, 2½ inches by 6 inches, with fancy printing on it?

These are not the only ways the monetary system has been compromised. Mortgages are now extended for up to thirty years, whereas former practices limited mortgages to just seven years. Unfortunately, because of inflated home costs, circumstances now dictate the need for the 30-year extension of home mortgages. Consequently, the interest generated on these mortgages is being compounded at a rate never seen before.

Food

Another major factor of today’s corruption is in the food industry’s desire to place before us convenient, processed foods that make big money for the large food corporations. The chemicals they sneak in around the food inspectors, or even with their knowledge, increase the shelf life but do not preserve the nutritional value. The food appears nutritious and tastes good, but most of the vital nutrition is gone.

There are so many of these chemicals and additives in the grain, cattle, fruit, and vegetable food-chains that it is impossible to point them all out. May I ask you, does this make for a healthy nation? The result is that instead of a healthy nation, we have developed into a very unhealthy one.

To cover this subject in detail would take many more pages. If you want more information, there are many good books on the market that explain the food industry’s deceptions, one of which is Kevin Trudeau’s Natural Cures They Don’t Want You To Know About.

Poor nutrition dilutes one’s ability to reason, so presently we are unable to take up the torch of truth and dispense it to the world. This is the goal we, as priesthood holders, should have. If the Lord, because of our inaction, rectifies this situation Himself, we will be under condemnation and reap the dire consequences. What has He promised? He will set things straight: First the Church, next the state, and finally the nation, as revealed in D&C 85:7 and by the early Church prophets.

Church

We note here that the Church is the first structure that has to be set in order. We are the Church. We have to be set in order.

We have only briefly covered how the Adversary has infiltrated our entire earthly existence with more and more of our freedoms being taken from us every day through the government, banks, medical establishment, and food industry. We have not covered how we, as members of God’s Church, have reacted to these abominations. The question is: Have we fallen hook, line, and sinker for these corrupt practices entrenched in politics, banking, food, and medicine?

Let us look at the evidence to prove whether or not we as a church have accepted these abominations. Right where the Church membership is prominent, such as Utah, southern Idaho, and possibly southern Alberta, Canada, what kind of banks exist? This question is a given. The banks are nearly identical with the rest of the nation.

We have purposely used the word nearly, for there is a slightly larger proportion of credit unions in these areas than in the rest of the nation. But in order to function and compete with the huge banking corporations, these credit unions have had to sacrifice some of their correct aims, abandoning the higher-interest savings accounts, lower-interest loans, and lower-cost services of years ago.

What about medicine? When you require medical attention, where do you go? You realize that if you follow the government-controlled medical system, you will not be able to access any doctor that is not attached to this coercive system. You are controlled by what emotion? Fear. So you go to your doctor whose understanding is influenced and controlled by the system.

If you want to go to a true doctor who is trained in herbal and natural healing (as suggested by the scriptures), whose natural methods are much more likely to cure you, it’s not covered by your health insurance, and you have to pay out of your pocket for this service. You are not given a choice. This medical system forces you to choose the avenue for which you have paid. The whole system is based on fear and force. And the circumstances are amplified because of the patient’s weakened physical condition.

This type of dependency has been used by communism in the past to enslave men. This is very similar to the Adversary’s plan. In a very subtle manner the present government right now has achieved the same goal as the communist system by making us totally dependent, using these coercive devices, as well as the weakened patients’ vulnerability, to force them to accept this corrupted system. So the majority of the LDS people pay into and accept the present medical system, suffering these horrible shackles.

One has to realize that in every condition there are two sides, the good and the bad, and many variations in-between. The majority of LDS people have not made themselves aware of these differences and have made little or no effort to correct the existing conditions.

Instead of leading us in an effort to at least make us aware of these conditions, there is no leadership today among the priesthood to rectify it … not yet, but there will be. Why? Because the Lord has said that the Church will be cleansed first. We believe this will happen. Whether the promised Mighty and Strong One is going to accomplish this or whether the Church members will accomplish it themselves, we do not know (D&C 85:7).

So we see that the Church members (you can’t blame the Church leadership as they just follow the members’ wishes) have accepted the status quo in the corrupt financial and medical systems. But what about the political system?

Many prominent Mormons are deeply involved in politics. Because their desire is for prominence and personal glory instead of basic truth, they too have followed mainstream policies, just as Gordon B. Hinckley, in several of his last discourses, has described the LDS Church as doing.

The Lord’s politics is directly opposite to our present system. As priesthood holders, we should search out what God considers correct principles and endeavor to set up His political kingdom instead of the present corrupt form. As of now, we have not been doing this.

Concerning food, yes, there are a few families in the Church who study nutrition and who eat correctly. You may notice that their children are smarter and are less likely to be influenced by the numerous destructive influences with which they have to cope.

Unfortunately most people in the Church also go along with what is being said on TV. They listen to the government’s recommendations, peer pressure, persuasive advertising, and the traditions of their parents. Consequently they eat very poorly and often end up being fat and in poor health. The incidence of obesity in the Church is now at least as bad as the rest of the population.

Concerning education, some families in the Church educate their children at home. These people should be commended for their efforts. This, sadly, is not the norm. Most parents in the Church send their children into the corrupt educational system, exposing them to the multitude of evil influences that abound in these schools.

It is extremely difficult to describe all the corruption that exists. We have done our best to point out that it does exist and that it has fooled nearly every member of the Lord’s church. Who is to blame for this condition? We are, of course. We must decide whether we want to live under the present system or put forth extreme effort to correct the situation.

According to prophecy, the Church has to be corrected first before the state and the nation. So what are we, as priesthood holders, going to do about it? It looks like our present leadership has totally accepted the present political, banking, food, and medical systems as they now exist, even though they are in total opposition to God’s wishes. (See The LDS Awakening.)

If we don’t do something about these abominations right now, then who is at fault? We are, period! Don’t we pray, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven? Does it have any meaning to us at all if we don’t do everything in our power to make it a reality?

We have presented before you, in a simple manner, evidence that clearly shows that the banking, money, and political systems have become completely corrupted. We do not know the year but do know that somewhere along the way, the educational system set up by the Church in the early days was eventually turned over to the state; currently we have a system that is nearly identical to the faulty beliefs of the ethnic mixing and sexual aberrations now forced upon us by the establishment. This, along with the corrupting influences of the media and entertainment industry, we cannot begin to cover.

We have shown that because we, the members of the Church, have nearly completely accepted these establishments, have we not then corrupted God’s true church? What do you think God is going to do with us? I don’t believe He is going to do anything. He makes us aware of, as referenced in the Book of Mormon, the secret combinations. And if we don’t heed His warnings, all He does is withdraw His Spirit and leave us in darkness. Then what happens? We reap the consequences of our complacency and inaction, which include total confusion, despondency, and despair. Why? Because He will no longer hear our cries and lamentations.

Conclusion

This lecture is not meant to detail what is happening out there but is intended to bring to our attention the ways and means the Adversary is using to deceive the whole world without us even being aware of the deceit. He knows that if he can stealthily take from us our freedom and bind us with fetters, he can more easily take from us our free agency. The war in heaven was not a war of club against club but a war of two diametrically opposed ideas, one bringing us unto salvation and the other enslaving us for eternity.

We present before you in this blog post a condensed summary of a portion of a large work recorded in Church history, which was presented to Joseph Smith in 1842 by a man named Udney Hay Jacob. Mr. Jacob, who claimed to be of true Jewish descent, was a nonmember at the time but later joined the Church. The original manuscript has never been found, although Mr. Jacob reportedly sent the entire book to U.S. President Van Buren before becoming a Mormon.

Mr. Jacob presented this book to Joseph Smith for his approval with the understanding that unless the true law of marriage were enforced among the people of the United States, dire results would occur. He explains in the narrative that God set strict laws encompassing the law of marriage, and any variance or abandonment of these laws would eventually result in total chaos. (Has not his prediction come true? Consider the divorce rates and recurring litigations among those who have been divorced.) Mr. Jacob says that when the “abomination of desolation” is mentioned in the scriptures, it refers to these sacred marriage laws being ignored.

Under the Babylonian System

The laws that Mr. Jacob presents may seem contradictory to everything that we have been taught under the Babylonian system we currently live in. Yet where does he get this concept of the law? It comes directly from the Bible and the teachings of the Savior himself. You cannot say that you believe in the Bible and the teachings of the Savior yet reject what is written here. Such would be a total contradiction.

Someday we are going to have to make a choice between these two systems by either accepting the present laws of the land or the laws of God. Right now we are under the obligation to obey the laws of the land and cannot practice all of God’s laws in their entirety. However, some of these laws can be lived under the present system on a voluntary basis, which would result in just exactly the blessing that is promised. If men were to take their responsibilities seriously and the women were to take their rightful place, would this not result in peace in the home?

The time will come, as has been promised throughout the scriptures, that Israel will be gathered together into one place and be a nation unto its own on the American continent. Once this happens, then these laws and others concerning the marriage covenant restored through Joseph Smith will be reinstated in their purity. Until such time we must obey the laws that currently exist.

We understand that the true descendants of Israel will be identified and finally realize their responsibility in being an example to all nations, tongues, and people. Right now we have crooked laws of marriage and crooked laws of divorce. We do not have to be partakers of these abominations and can live God’s law to some degree without breaking these corrupt laws under which we now live. It is up to us to do the best we can.

Introductory Comments

This discourse does not touch on further enlightenment received by Joseph Smith concerning the marriage covenant.

In the future we will eventually be covering all of God’s true laws. We are beginning with the marriage covenant, as we feel it is one of the most important laws and one which we can start implementing towards our goal of straightening the crooked path that many are now following.

We start now with extracts taken from the the “Part and Verse Edition” of The Peace Maker. If there is a desire by the reader to read verbatim The Peace Maker, they can download the following PDF file:

The supplementary comments of the author of this newsletter are indicated in square brackets throughout this document. Corrections in spelling, grammar, and format have also been made for easier reading.

Identity of the Original Author

It is written in Malachi 4:5-6:

“Behold I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD; and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”

The author of this work professes to be the teacher Malachi foretold. Some may object that John the Baptist was the character there alluded to. But if it was necessary that Christ should have a forerunner when He came to this world as a servant only — not to be ministered unto, but to minister — and to give His life for the ransom of the world, how much more requisite is it that He should be thus honored when He comes in His glory and majesty to be King over all the nations of the earth?

Moreover, please take notice of the character of which is spoken. He shall “turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers (nothing is here said of the mothers), lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” This is a matter of great importance in the eyes of God, in its proper time.

No teacher since this prophecy was given has made the least approximation towards the accomplishment of this great work, which is to save the world from a dreadful curse. But did not Christ do anything to effect this purpose, says an objector? Hear Him:

“Suppose ye that I am come to give peace to the earth? I tell you nay, but rather division — the father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father, the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother, etc. And a man’s enemies shall be they of his own house. Ye hypocrites can discern the face of the sky, and of the earth, but how is it that ye do not discern this time?” (Luke 12:51-56).

However, the public can form a better judgment of the author’s pretensions by reading this extract rather than by mere professions.

And when the whole work shall be published and its glorious object accomplished, then will the whole world know assuredly that he is indeed the teacher foretold by the Prophet Malachi more than two thousand years ago. Then will the truth of the holy prophets be established, and the judgments of God and His wisdom will be manifest.

The author of this work is not a Mormon, although it is printed by their press. It was the most convenient. But the public will soon find out what he is by his work.

[Throughout the remainder of this document, each extract from the “Part and Verse Edition” of The Peace Maker will be referenced in standard scripture form.

If you desire to continue reading The Peace Maker
instead of this condensed version, download the following PDF file:]

Men under the Government of the Woman

Men are under the bondage of sin because they have come under the government of the woman in the marriage covenant (PM 2:2-6).

Adam first came under this bondage by obeying Eve and partaking of the fruit (PM 2:7-8).

The law and government of the woman over the man is a usurpation of power (PM 2:9).

By coming under the law of the woman, men lose the original dignity, nobleness, and excellency of the masculine mind, and, as it affects the sex of their minds, they become effeminate (PM 2:10).

If men in Christendom were not under the effeminate mind, they would not be continually deceived by the adversary (PM 2:12).

The scriptures teach that a woman is under the government of her husband until he dies, and then she is free of his government (PM 2:13-17; also see 1 Corinthians 7:39 and Romans 7:2).

But no scriptures teach that the man is under the government of his wife. Such an idea would be subversive of good government (PM 2:18-20).

The woman was not created to rule the man but was created after the man. Even as the man is to be subject to Christ, so the woman is to be subject to the husband and reverence him (PM 2:21-24).

Because the laws of men in many instances place the woman over the man, confusion reigns in society at the very roots (PM 2:25-27).

As the adversary gained control over mankind by subjecting men to the government of the woman, so the adversary will be cast out by restoring the government of the family to the man (PM 2:28-29).

Babylon is the mother of harlots and abominations. It consists of the false governments of men that place the man under the woman. It is the root of many evils among us (PM 3:1-12).

The Law of Divorcement

The law of divorcement in our government is imperfect. It is frequently changed and varies in different states and countries. How can this be a divine law if it is imperfect and changeable (PM 4:1-2)?

We must return to the divine law of divorcement (PM 4:3-4).

This is the law of Christ on divorce: “But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced [without this reason] committeth adultery” (PM 4:5-6; also see Matthew 5:32).

The Savior himself says that the only true and lawful cause of divorcement is the fornication of the wife against her husband (PM 4:7).

Fornication, as it is generally understood, is the lewdness of unmarried persons. Since a married woman cannot thus commit fornication in this manner, the fornication of the wife against her husband must be a different kind of fornication (PM 4:8-9).

If the fornication spoken of in Matthew 5:32 as accepted in Christendom today is the same as adultery, how then would it make sense that by committing adultery a woman can be divorced and thus not commit adultery by a second marriage (PM 4:14)?

But Christ does not call fornication a crime but the one justifiable cause for divorce (PM 4:15-16).

Can a man justifiably divorce his wife without the existence of fornication? The answer is no, he cannot. If he divorces her for any other reason it causes her to commit adultery (PM 4:17).

The truth is this: The prostitution of the woman’s body after marriage constitutes adultery, but the alienation of the mind and affections of the woman constitutes fornication (PM 4:18).

The body and the mind are both obligated by the marriage covenant. If the mind of the wife becomes alienated from her husband, she commits fornication against her husband because the mind of the wife, as well as the body, is bound to yield obedience and submission to her husband in all things by the spiritual nature of that covenant. The mind and body must both be in agreement (PM 4:19-20).

If an unmarried woman is with a man unlawfully, it is fornication of the body. But the fornication of the mind is committed by a married woman who is alienated from her husband. If a married woman is with another man unlawfully, it is not fornication but adultery (PM 4:21-22).

Adultery by the law of God [not man’s law] was punishable by death. Thus if fornication in marriage were the same as adultery, how could we speak of divorce? The consequence would not be divorce but death [or banishment] (PM 4:29).

Some suppose that Christ, in the case of the woman who was accused before Him of adultery, softened or entirely disannulled this law. But Christ did not come as a legislator but as a teacher and servant. It was not consistent that He, who came to redeem sinners from the condemning power of the law with His own blood, should condemn them by the law. He did not do away with the law but put righteous conditions in its enforcement (PM 5:1-5).

The Jews sought to entrap Christ, but with what wisdom He frustrated their design! He did not teach the violation of the law but invited those who had not violated the law to cast the first stone (PM 5:6-7; also see John 8:7).

God has ordained a proper power to execute wrath upon the transgressor, and in this instance the true teacher never crippled this power in the least (PM 5:12-13).

The marriage relation is clearly illustrated by the relation that exists between Christ and His church. When the church ceases to obey Christ and to love Him, they then commit fornication against Him, and this is the term used when speaking of Israel as a bride throughout the scriptures (PM 6:1-2).

Enforcing the proper law of divorce would restore this nation to peace and order, restore man to his true dignity, authority, and government of the earthly creation, and drive the adversary from the human mind (PM 6:3-6).

And by no other means can the hearts of the fathers be turned to their children and the hearts of the children be turned to their fathers (PM 6:7; also see Malachi 4:5-6).

God has positively required women to be subject to their husband even as Sarah of old. Likewise ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands: “Even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord; whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement” (PM 6:13-15; also see 1 Peter 3:6).

If legislators were to establish the true order of marriage and divorce, wives would soon reform, and nothing in this world would they esteem higher than their husband’s affections. They would respect their authority sincerely, and husbands would command their kindest attention everywhere (PM 6:17-20).

A Man Putting Away His Wife

The husband who thought of putting away his wife would be required to go before the magistrate and there affirm the fact that he was about to divorce his wife, stating under oath the true cause or causes, such as willful disobedience to his reasonable commands, disrespectful language, and a refusal to submit to him in all reasonable things; and make it the duty of the magistrate to record the oath and testimony thus given.

The magistrate would exercise no other judgment or supervision in the case than to verify by investigation that the evidence did prove that the cause or causes did exist as described by law, that no abuse or battery had been offered by the husband against the wife, that persuasion had been used kindly and gently, that space was given her to repent, and that she repented not, thus proving the husband’s request as valid (PM 7:1-2).

After presenting the facts to the magistrate, and with the magistrate’s approval, the husband would write his wife a bill of divorcement and put her away; then she would be free to go and be married to another man. The bill would also be a matter of record, signifying her freedom from her former husband (PM 7:4).

If the husband becomes alienated towards his wife while she remains sincerely attached to him, has he not a right to put her away? Not by any means. He cannot drive his affectionate and faithful wife from him while she remains pure in heart and sincerely attached to him (PM 8:1-2).

Moses, for the hardness of their hearts, suffered men for some fancied uncleanness or personal dislike to divorce their wives (PM 8:3; also see Deuteronomy 24:1).

But from the beginning it was not so, and there is a legal reason which is that a man shall not take advantage of his own wrong. But more especially the cruelty of the act forbids it (PM 8:4-5).

Children Born of an Alienated Woman

But if a woman is alienated in her heart, the case is different. There is then a serious reason why she must be put away. Children begotten and born of an alienated woman are born of fornication in the spirit and mind (PM 8:6).

When there is no fornication against the government of a man by a woman, her children, even if born in an unmarried state, are often the most bright and active, and the children are possessed of greater natural gifts than many other children (PM 8:7).

It boils right down to this surety: God, who knows the nature of His own works, has forbidden the propagation of our species from an alienated woman (PM 8:7).

A bastard is a child that is born of fornication by an alienated woman. According to God this is a pretty serious consequence. These children are not allowed to enter into the congregation of the LORD to the tenth generation (PM 8:8).

Here we are taught that the injury is so great as to disqualify them from becoming Saints to the tenth generation! What do you think of this, my countrymen? How many bastards have we in these States completely disqualified from entering into the congregation of the LORD to the tenth generation? It is evident that minds or souls are propagated by natural generation as well as bodies (PM 8:11).

The woman is the producer, and while she remains pure, truly attached in spirit to her husband, her children are pure and born in honor (PM 8:13).

There is a sanctifying power in the belief taught in this book, which is indeed the balm of Gilead to the children of suffering humanity, and if it be not received by this nation at this time, wo, wo be to them (PM 8:17). [This prophecy was made in 1842.]

Power in the Hands of an Alienated Woman

Here is a wrong idea in your head, an idea of a woman divorcing her husband. The man is not under the law of marriage to his wife. But the wife is bound by the law of her husband as long as her husband liveth. A divorced man is a creature nowhere recognized in the scriptures or in the law of God (PM 9:3).

Because of the Gentiles’ perverted ideas and laws upon this subject, the saying of the prophet Isaiah hath been fulfilled literally: “As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them” (PM 9:6-7; see also Isaiah 3:12).

Although a woman is not known to be an adulteress, yet she may be a perfect devil to her husband, treat him in the most imperious manner, despise him in her heart, abuse him before his children, drive him like a menial slave where she pleases — and he must tamely submit to the ungodly law of his wife, must hug the serpent to his bosom, and love her as he does his own body! Impossible! And it is degrading to the nature of man. It is altogether unlawful and ruinous to the families of the nation (PM 9:9-10).

The means which ungodly law puts into the hands of a proud termagant and alienated woman, into torturing her husband and ruining all his affairs as well as his soul and his children to the tenth generation, cannot be written on paper (PM 9:11).

The evils that this nation now suffers by this erroneous law cannot be enumerated, neither can it be comprehended until the law of God is restored and true order and righteous government is established in the land. Then will we discover the contrast and not until then (PM 9:12).

Power in the Hands of the Man

Order in government must and should exist, and God is the only one who knows where the power should be placed to effect it. And He has placed it in the hands of the man (PM 9:14).

This power of the man over the woman does not consist of the right to abuse and execute corporal punishment, which does violence to the nature of the marriage relation, but is to execute the true law of divorcement established by God himself for the purpose of righteous government and peace (PM 9:15).

No legislature has a right to alter, amend, or change the marriage and divorce laws of God in the least, only to appoint the means and order the execution thereof. For what God has joined together, let no man put asunder (PM 9:16; see also JST Matthew 19:6).

[One must notice here that the death sentence is indicated in certain severe breeches of the law of God. However, this would not be carried out as we understand it, for in Biblical times the death sentence constituted not only in the stoning of the offender but in the casting of that person from the congregation. That was also a death sentence and, in some cases if understood, was even worse than a physical death.]

Bills of divorcement according to the laws of the Gentiles are therefore unlawful. People cannot by their acts separate lawfully what God has joined together; He hath forbidden it (PM 9:17).

Because of these corrupt man-made laws, many are now living in fornication and adultery in the sight of God (PM 9:17).

The Woman Belongs to the Man

The idea of a woman taking a man to be her husband is not found in the word of God. But the man marries the woman, and the woman is given in marriage. [Review the temple marriage wording.] She is therefore the property of the husband in marriage. But the husband is not the property of the wife in any sense of the word (PM 10:2-3).

The woman is the glory of the man, and if she is a virtuous woman, her price is above rubies. She is a different kind of property held by a different tenure, according to the law being bound to the husband, and cannot be sold (PM 10:5).

When God made the woman, he gave her to the man, but he never gave the man to the woman. Therefore, the woman has no power to divorce the man. How can property divorce its owner (PM 10:8)?

Thus you see, my countrymen, how the old harlot Rome, the old mother of harlots, has committed fornication against Christ and then has taught our wives to commit fornication against us with impunity. Thus all nations have been made to drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication (PM 11:1; see also Revelation 18:3).

Fornication of the Woman Almost Nonexistent in Times of Old

In ancient times under the law of God, the permission of a plurality of wives had a direct tendency to prevent the possibility of fornication in the wife (PM 12:1).

For the law of divorcement, and all of the law of God on the subject, sustained the lawful and independent power of the husband over the wife, and his dignity of character was thereby supported (PM 12:2).

The ruinous evil of a woman being jealous of her husband could not exist under this law. The existence of fornication in a married woman, passing this destructive evil on to her posterity, was then hardly possible. Because of this, it was not therefore defined or even mentioned in the law (PM 12:5-6).

But when Christ came during the time of the Roman Babylonian system, it became necessary for the Savior to define the proper cause of divorce, to illustrate its spirit and real nature. This is all the Savior did concerning the marriage laws at that time (PM 12:8).

The first law ever made upon the subject of marriage is contained in these words: “Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee” (PM 12:9-10; see also Genesis 3:16).

It is evident that the sovereignty of the husband over his wife, bestowed by God himself, cannot righteously be supported by any other means than by the law (PM 12:12). [Neither can prosperity attend the human family upon any other principle.]

A Husband’s Offenses toward the Wife

But suppose a married man entice a maid; shall not the wife be entitled to a bill of divorce against him? As long as the maid is free of obligations, this would not be an offense against his wife, neither would it be against the maid but altogether to the maid’s favor (PM 13:1).

If a man has addressed the maid without the father’s consent, it is against the father, for which the law of God expressly provides penalties. But the man’s wife has no control in this matter (PM 13:3).

But if a man commits adultery with another man’s wife, this offense is murder to her posterity in its nature and robs the woman’s husband of his most precious rights. He, therefore, and the adulteress shall be put to death (PM 13:6).

For this very serious form of robbery has had the death penalty prescribed (PM 13:6).

God calls us to peace and purity and order, for His house is a house of order and not of confusion. This is the whole object of the law (PM 13:7).

The families of the earth are the root of all righteous government among men, and unless order and a perfect and independent head is here established by the law of God, wretchedness and confusion will and must be the certain consequences (PM 14:1).

The honor, the affections, and the prosperity of the father and husband are powerful checks to his becoming a tyrant. The fatherly government, in all ages where this law has been enforced, has been found the most virtuous and just (PM 14:2).

The enforcement of God’s law can easily and completely control any disposition of a tyrannical nature in the supreme head of a family, without bringing him under the unlawful and ruinous bondage of a woman (PM 14:3).

If a husband requires anything of his wife which love and reason would not dictate, or if he inflicts blows upon his wife, it is of the nature of assault and battery. And if he is convicted of such an offense, it is the law of God that he be publicly whipped, not to exceed forty stripes, according to the aggravation of the offense. And where, I inquire, would such a man go to get a wife after he was known (PM 14:4-5)?

For by the law, a man is bound to be kind to his wife, for he is under the Law of Christ, who is his lawful head (PM 14:7).

The Head of the Woman is the Man

The wife has no right to reprove, rebuke, or to exercise any kind of dictation whatever over a righteous husband. He is her head, and she should be guided by the head. If the wife wants to know anything, let her ask her husband at home. She has, however, the right of petition. And this is a right that all who are governed should possess (PM 14:7-8).

If a wife seeks any other guide, depending on someone else besides her husband (except it be the LORD, who is the head of all), she must be miserable. She is out of the order which God has established in the creation, and wretchedness is the inevitable fruit (PM 14:9).

The law must confine the wife completely under her husband’s power for good only. “The head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God” (1 Corinthians 11:3). Even as the church [men] cannot admonish or dictate to Christ, so the woman cannot dictate to her husband. She has the same right of petition as her husband (PM 14:9-11).

“But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence” (1 Timothy 2:12). Here we are informed that an attempt by a wife even to teach her husband is an usurpation of power forbidden by the Holy Spirit (PM 14:11-12).

The Divorced Woman

If a woman does commit fornication against her husband and does not reform, it is his duty to put her away. And how is it possible that a reasonable woman could desire to live with a man when in her heart she is alienated from him? Surely she would much rather be free, that she might be lawfully united with some other man whom she could respect and love (PM 16:2-4).

And the law then should compel the husband to give her a bill of divorcement no matter what the husband’s feelings or affections towards her might be, notwithstanding (PM 16:6).

The woman is a subject of the law and therefore is the one who can break it (PM 16:7).

To enforce this law to some degree, a woman is allowed, upon her separation, no dowry and loses her children if she persists in ignoring the law (PM 16:9).

The support and education of the children belong to the father, and all his substance is to perform those duties to accomplish this (PM 16:10).

By enforcing this law in all respects, it will turn the heart of the fathers to the children and the heart of the children to their fathers — by exalting the father’s authority, influence, and dignity of character in the earth (PM 16:11).

The father of a family is in the image of God, and it is not well pleasing to God that His particular image on earth should be degraded unlawfully by a corrupt law (PM 16:12).

The law of God states that a divorced wife takes nothing but her own property unless the husband is pleased to give her more; for the law allows for no schism in the body, or grounds of contention, and there is none when this is done (PM 16:13).

And the divorced wife, after being married to another, cannot return to her former husband (PM 16:14).

Courts Governing Marriage

If conversely the governing power of marriage is placed equally in the hands of the husband and the wife, this would result in there being no subject and consequently no possibility of violating the power of the government, for it is the subject only that can violate a law; and therefore there could be no possibility of divorcement (PM 17:3).

Some states place the governing power of marriage in neither of the parties but place it in the court. But the law of God never places this power in anyone else’s hands but God’s (PM 17:5).

If the courts govern marriages, this opens a door of unlawful litigation between the husband and the wife and places the power we speak of equally in the hands of both, resulting in open hostility between what God has joined together (PM 17:6).

The husband is bound to love his wife and provide for her not by the law of marriage but by the law of Christ, which also binds him even to love his enemies (PM 18:2).

[This points out that we as priesthood holders are under God’s direction, not God under our direction. It is the same with the marriage covenant. The woman is married to the man, not the man to the woman. She is under his direction. It cannot be any other way] (PM 18:4).

If the husband and wife are equal in government there can be no divorcement, at the same time no possibility of exercising sovereignty, and finally no kingdom or government but a tyrannical state of anarchy whereby the families of the earth now are filled with confusion and held together only by a principle similar to that by which the goats and wild beasts herd together. Hence it is termed in scripture as the “government of the beast” (PM 18:8).

According to the law of Christ, there is but one supreme governor in every family who is bound by Christ to govern according to law and who has power thereby to execute judgments if his subjects rebel. He has the right to banish them from his dominions and at the same time absolve them from their allegiance. He then has the right to replace his government with other subjects, that it may be a house of order and peace (PM 18:9).

As two oxen will not work peaceably together in the yoke until this point is settled, so it is in the marriage covenant. There is no peace until this matter is settled. If it is not, it remains a continual jar and confusion throughout life, resulting in coldness and contempt for each other and sowing the seeds of ruin in the family (PM 18:11).

“The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant” (Isaiah 24:5). Isaiah is speaking of the ordinance and covenant of marriage. This is spoken of in the singular number because there is no other everlasting ordinance that man ever had the power to change (PM 18:12-13).

The laws of our country and decisions of our courts upon this subject of marriage have a direct tendency to establish the weaker vessel as the head of the man and head of the family (PM 18:15).

Many men of the best talents that their generation can afford remain bachelors or are totally ruined and, in their course of action, are the ruin of many females. For the better the intellect, the less willing he is to be a slave, especially under the tyranny of an unnatural yoke of bondage such as the woman (PM 18:16).

But the law of God settles this matter at once and declares that the head of the woman is the man and the head of the man is Christ — and fixes the governing power accordingly (PM 18:17).

Where the woman is naturally of a mild and submissive make, the families live in peace. And where it is otherwise, it is reason that the law should enforce peace so that this great and important subject should be settled (PM 18:18).

The practice of courts and legislative bodies in granting bills of divorcement for any other grounds than fornication is an assumption of power and tyranny in its nature. It is not authorized by the scriptures, which is the only true authority upon this subject. In contrast to this, the Pope of Rome in the past formally assumed all power in the matter, forcibly denying divorcement for any reason, necessitating that these abominations be included in the laws of men (PM 19:1).

Hence old Rome is styled correctly as “Mystery Babylon,” the mother of harlots and the abominations of the earth. And she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication (PM 19:7; see also Revelation 17:2).

Other Marriage Laws Addressed in the Peace Maker

[These laws are not applicable at this time but were at the time the law was written.]

If a man lie carnally with a bond woman, married or betrothed, which would be adultery and punishable by death to both parties if she was free — but yet, because she is not free but a bond woman, she only shall be scourged; and the man must make a sin offering, and he is forgiven (PM 20:2; see also Leviticus 19:20-21).

This points out that God in His law not only recognizes the right of holding our fellow creatures as property and in bondage but frames His laws in all cases agreeably thereto (PM 20:3).

There is another law respecting the crime which we denominate as a rape (Deuteronomy 22:28-29). In this case the man was compelled to marry the maid and was forbidden to put her away all his life. He must provide her a dowry as a wife, provide for her forever, and moreover pay a heavy fine to her father (PM 21:1-2).

If a man seduce a maid and then refuse to marry her, it is the same offense as to put away a wife without a lawful cause. He thereby causeth her to commit adultery as our Lord declares; therefore he is adjudged guilty of adultery, being the cause of that crime and therefore worthy of death. Again corrupt laws have nullified this wise decision (PM 21:4).

If a man entice a maid without first obtaining the consent of her father to address her, and if the father refuses to give her in marriage, then the man is compelled to pay money according to the dowry of virgins (PM 21:6; see also Exodus 22:16-17).

Thus does the law of God make the father the supreme head of his family. Yet he has no right to compel his daughter to be married without her consent. For it is unlawful for the woman to be held even by marriage contrary to her free choice, for the woman must not be enslaved by marriage. In other words, only she can choose as to whom she is to marry (PM 21:7).

But suppose a man that already has a wife entice a maid; how then could he marry her? If a man entice a maid that is not betrothed and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife. There is no condition that can justify him in refusing to marry her. This is according to God’s law, not man’s (PM 22:1).

The expense and care of a sizable family and the support of many wives will be a sufficient check for men in ordinary circumstances from overindulging in multiplying wives which they must support and cannot put away or willfully neglect on pain of death (PM 22:21).

And in fact, vile men will not be able to obtain wives so easily and hopefully not at all (PM 22:22).

But if a man entice a maid that is betrothed to another and lie with her, he shall suffer death (Deuteronomy 22:23-27). Such is the perfect law of God. And David by the Holy Spirit of Truth declares that the law of God is perfect (PM 23:11; see also Psalm 19:7).

This penalty may appear unreasonably severe to Gentiles, educated as they are, but when we consider attentively the circumstances in which the man is placed by the law of God, why should he desire to put away the kind-hearted wife or the affectionate maid which he has only thought proper to woo to his embrace, especially when the law not only permits him to retain them both but requires it at the peril of his life and, as explained clearly in this discourse which permits him to discharge a disobedient woman (PM 23:12)?

The abominable crime of a maiden beguiled and deserted by the man and a wife and family abandoned to the mercy of a heartless world never did occur in the land of Israel. Neither can they occur where the perfect law of God bears rule (PM 23:15).

Consequences of the Laws of the Gentiles

The laws of the Gentiles by their nature result in outrageous crimes and many cruel murders and are in their very nature not only a complete disorganization of all righteous and peaceable government but are the temptations in many cases to commit the most unnatural and outrageous cruelties. They are the fruitful source of an innumerable train of wicked and cruel evils (PM 23:17).

The law which forbids a man to marry with proper consent any free woman in Israel whom he pleases is a particular mark of the Anti-Christ (PM 24:10).

The law of God outside the law concerning marriage protects completely the rights of women from all oppression, so far as they have any rights that can be of use to them or the world of mankind. And the law of God protects the rights of men in like manner (PM 25:7-8).

For a people to make a law to enforce the violation of the law of Almighty God is the most outrageous crime of which a nation can be guilty (PM 26:9).

It is evident that by the corruption of this holy law of marriage, an endless catalogue of crime has been created that otherwise could never have existed and that does exist at this moment in these United States (PM 28:6).

The stupidity of modern Christian nations upon this subject is horribly astonishing (PM 28:10).

The abomination of Desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet (Daniel 9:27, 11:31), refers to the laws of the Gentiles superseding the penal laws of God in the civil government of His people, which began to be effected about the time of the destruction of Jerusalem and was ultimately consummated, confirmed, and established by placing the man under the law of the woman by authority of the Church of Rome (PM 28:11).

Conclusion

The truth on this important matter is now clearly set before you, my countrymen, by many strong arguments that cannot be gainsaid and by many incontestable evidences. And can you not understand it (PM 28:18)?

The question is not now to be debated whether these things are so; neither is it a question of how important it is as to who wrote this book. But the question — the momentous question — is: Will we now restore the law of God on this important subject and keep it (PM 28:19)?

]]>The God-Given Right to Not Sustain the Church Presidenthttp://www.millennialnorthstar.info/the-god-given-right-to-not-sustain-the-church-president/
Wed, 01 Dec 2010 10:38:12 +0000http://www.millennialnorthstar.info/?p=279Read more »]]>Not Trusting Another

When I was 24 years old (I am 69 now in 2018), I was very intensely seeking that summer for answers, guidance, and personal revelation. I had been back from a two-year LDS mission to Italy, was a student at BYU, and had decided to stay in Provo for the summer. I was very active in the Church but was seeking to understand a few things that I could not resolve. I prayed and fasted a lot that summer.

I finally had a very intense response from this effort. What I was shown surprised me because its significance did not seem that important at the time. However, I realize now that it was overwhelmingly important. The Spirit very clearly showed me that I must not automatically trust any other man as a spiritual guide, but I must continually seek guidance for myself. The Spirit led me to this scripture:

“Therefore, let every man stand or fall, by himself, and not for another; or not trusting another…. And if thine eye [the revelator for the Church]which seeth for thee, him that is appointed to watch over thee to show thee light, become a transgressor and offend thee, pluck him out”(JST Mark 9:44, 46; emphasis added).

Just reading the above verses once will certainly not give you the intense, overwhelming understanding of what it implies. You might want to print it out in large letters on a piece of paper, hang it up, and read it every day for a year or two.

One might read verse 44 and think that “not trusting another” applies to everyone in the Church except the president of the Church. Certainly he should always automatically be trusted. But read on to verse 46, and you will see it is absolutely clear that this scripture applies directly to the president of the Church, which it calls the “eye” of the body.

Who can handle this information? These scriptures teach us that the president of the Church is not above failing us. These verses also make it absolutely clear that it is the responsibility of “every man” or member of the body (the Church) to remove the president if he transgresses; it is not the responsibility of the Lord to do so.

In fact, there is a specific revelation in the Doctrine and Covenants on how to hold a special trial over the president of the Church (or one of his counselors) to remove him if necessary:

“There is not any person belonging to the church who is exempt from this council of the church. And inasmuch as a President of the High Priesthood shall transgress, he shall be had in remembrance before the common council of the church, who shall be assisted by twelve counselors of the High Priesthood; and their decision upon his head shall be an end of controversy concerning him.

Thus, none shall be exempted from the justice and the laws of God, that all things may be done in order and in solemnity before him, according to truth and righteousness” (D&C 107:81-84).

However, in spite of the above scripture, there is no end to statements that are circulated in the Church to the effect that, above all else, we must remember that the president of the Church is above failing us. For instance, there is a quote in which an old man remembers that he heard the Prophet Joseph say:

“If you will stay with the majority of the Twelve Apostles, and the records of the church, you will never be led astray.”

Notice that the above statement is actually secondhand. Somebody said that somebody said something. Can such statements really be used to overrule the law of the gospel as contained in the Doctrine and Covenants? Such quotes, or even statements by presidents of the Church, should not be used to overrule the scriptural law that clearly allows legitimate controversies over the president of the Church, teaching that such controversies will be settled by a special trial.

Some of us have suffered for trying to claim this right to legitimately not sustain the president of the Church and to ask for a trial to settle intense controversies over him. But this suffering has been worth it because the Spirit has supported us.

Can you not see that those who seek to deny members of the Church the right of legitimate dissent against the head of the Church are not living by correct celestial principles? The Church is not a democracy, but neither is it a dictatorship.

Some Legitimate Complaints

Here is one issue I sincerely believe should be settled by such a trial: Are you old enough to remember June of 1978 when the Church began ordaining blacks to the priesthood? Was this truly done by common consent as it should have been? “All things shall be done by common consent in the church…” (D&C 26:2).

The Church first announced this new revelation to the world’s news media. I believe most active members, including myself, heard it first from the media. The Church then immediately began ordaining blacks. Before October General Conference, blacks were ordained, they were allowed into the temples, and blacks and whites were married to each other in the temple.

Then later in the October General Conference, the Church members were asked to “sustain” this new revelation and change. Any member who seriously questioned this matter was subject to excommunication. The question is: why did the Church leaders not bring the new revelation to the attention of their brothers first, then allow them to pray about such a significant matter, and finally vote over the matter before the change was made?

There was no written D&C-type revelation given out — just the word of President Kimball that he had received such a revelation. But this unpublished “revelation” contradicted the previous teachings of all Church presidents before him.

President Brigham Young taught many times that the seed of Cain were Black, and they would not receive the priesthood until all the children of Adam, especially the seed of Abel (which seed is not yet born), received it first. He also on several occasions taught that any priesthood holder who were to marry a Black would lose his own priesthood immediately along with all of the accompanying blessings.

Consider this: If Blacks are given the priesthood and all temple blessings, then there is no longer any reason for White people to not marry them. These intermarriages happened immediately once the priesthood and temple blessings were given to the Blacks.

If God does not really guarantee that the president of the Church will never be allowed to lead us astray, then should we not be extremely careful to not automatically accept the claims and teachings of the president of the Church on extremely serious issues such as this one?

Hearsay vs. the Word of the Lord

Let me present my concerns again. Have you ever heard this quote?

“I have heard the Prophet speak in public on many occasions. In one meeting I heard him say: ‘I will give you a key that will never rust — if you will stay with the majority of the Twelve Apostles, and the records of the church, you will never be led astray’” (William G. Nelson, in “Joseph Smith, the Prophet,” Young Woman’s Journal, Dec. 1906, p. 543).

It is very likely that you have heard this or a similar statement many, many times in General Conference, in Church publications, and over the pulpit at your local meetinghouse. Now we repeat D&C 107:81-84. How many times have you heard this quote which is directly opposite to the above?

“There is not any person belonging to the church who is exempt from this council of the church [a First Presidency court]. And inasmuch as a President of the High Priesthood [a member of the First Presidency itself]shall transgress, he shall be had in remembrance before the common council of the church [a bishop’s court], who shall be assisted by twelve counselors of the High Priesthood; and their decision upon his head shall be an end of controversy concerning him.

Thus, none shall be exempted from the justice and the laws of God, that all things may be done in order and in solemnity before him, according to truth and righteousness” (D&C 107:81-84; emphasis added).

Now do you really know what this is saying when you read it for the first time? Both of these quotes deal with the same issue. The first quote gives the impression that we can always be certain that the leaders of the Church will never be allowed to lead the Church astray. The second quote directly teaches that anyone, even the president of the Church, can fail us; and if he does, we should hold a trial over him to settle the controversies concerning him. Now which one is correct?

These two quotes do not seem compatible to me. The first quote comes from a man who remembered something he heard the Prophet Joseph say about 65 years earlier. It is a secondhand quote. Somebody said that somebody said something. It is not the word of the Lord, and no one is put under covenant to live by it.

So what else did Joseph say at other times on the subject? Often we say things and then go on to put conditions on what we said. Consider the following:

“President Smith rose…. Said if the people departed from the Lord, they must fall — that they were depending on the prophet, hence were darkened in their minds from neglect of themselves“ (Nauvoo Relief Society Minutes, 26 May 1842; emphasis added).

This confirms the second quote, which is the word of the Lord in the D&C. It is part of the law of the gospel that the Saints covenant to live by.

So which quote should we trust the most? Which one should we quote and expound in General Conference the most? Which one should we teach one another the most? Why is the secondhand quote taught the most? Why is it taught incessantly while the other one is virtually totally ignored?

I am sincerely convinced that the reason for this cannot possibly be a good reason. Placing the heads of the Church above possible controversy may seem like a righteous, good idea, but it directly contradicts the law that the Lord gave the Latter-day Saints.

The Leaders Can Fall

There is no reason to honestly believe that men in high places in the Church, even the president of the Church, cannot fall. President Benson stated the following in the 1963 October General Conference:

“Six of the original Twelve Apostles selected by Joseph Smith were excommunicated. The Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon left the Church. Three of Joseph Smith’s counselors fell — one even helped plot his death.

A natural question that might arise would be that if the Lord knew in advance that these men would fall, as He undoubtedly did, why did He have His prophet call them to such high office? The answer is, to fill the Lord’s purposes. For even the Master followed the will of the Father by selecting Judas.

President George Q. Cannon suggested an explanation, too, when he stated:

‘Perhaps it is his own design that faults and weaknesses should appear in high places in order that his saints may learn to trust in Him and not in any man or men’ (Millennial Star 53:658, 1891; emphasis added).

Blindly Following the Leaders

President Brigham Young was also very concerned about the Saints blindly following their leaders:

“What a pity it would be if we were led by one man to utter destruction! Are you afraid of this? I am more afraid that this people have so much confidence in their leaders that they will not inquire for themselves of God whether they are led by Him. I am fearful they settle down in a state of blind self-security, trusting their eternal destiny in the hands of their leaders with a reckless confidence that in itself would thwart the purposes of God in their salvation, and weaken that influence they could give to their leaders, did they know for themselves, by the revelations of Jesus, that they are led in the right way.

Let every man and woman know, by the whispering of the Spirit of God to themselves, whether their leaders are walking in the path the Lord dictates, or not. This has been my exhortation continually” (JD 9:151).

“The First Presidency have of right a great influence over this people; and if we should get out of the way and lead this people to destruction, what a pity it would be! How can you know whether we lead you correctly or not? Can you know by any other power than that of the Holy Ghost? I have uniformly exhorted the people to obtain this living witness, each for themselves; then no man on earth can lead them astray” (JD 6:100).

“I do not want men to come to me or my brethren for testimony as to the truth of this work; but let them take the Scriptures of divine truth, and there the path is pointed out to them as plainly as ever a guideboard indicated the right path to the weary traveler. There they are directed to go, not to Brothers Brigham, Heber, or Daniel, to any apostle or elder in Israel, but to the Father in the name of Jesus, and ask for the information they need.

Can they who take this course in honesty and sincerity receive information? Will the Lord turn away from the honest heart seeking for truth? No, He will not; He will prove to them, by the revelations of His Spirit, the facts in the case.

And when the mind is open to the revelations of the Lord it comprehends them quicker and keener than anything that is seen by the natural eye. It is not what we see with our eyes — they may be deceived — but what is revealed by the Lord from Heaven is sure and steadfast, and abides for ever.

We do not want the people to rely on human testimony, although that cannot be confuted and destroyed; still, there is a more sure word of prophecy that all may gain if they will seek it earnestly before the Lord” (JD 12:96; emphasis added).

These quotes came from a president who for many years was closely associated with Joseph Smith. Should we not take his words seriously?

Following D&C Instructions

What does the Lord promise?

“I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise“(D&C 82:10; emphasis added).

The Doctrine and Covenants is full of instructions which the Church does not live. And yet consider these commandments and warning in D&C 43:

8 And now, behold, I give unto you a commandment, that when ye are assembled together ye shall instruct and edify each other, that ye may know how to act and direct my church, how to act upon the points of my law and commandments, which I have given.

9 And thus ye shall become instructed in the law of my church, and be sanctified by that which ye have received, and ye shall bind yourselves to act in all holiness before me—

10 That inasmuch as ye do this, glory shall be ADDED to the kingdom which ye have received. Inasmuch as ye do it not, it shall be TAKEN, even that which ye have received.

Since the D&C is FULL of instructions the church is not living, does not this warning guarantee that blessings will or have been TAKEN from the church? And is it not certain that the scriptural promises that some feel guarantee the Church leadership should always be sustained have also been TAKEN away?

Let’s take a look at some other instructions that are not being lived by the Church. Is it not possible that many of the blessings we are entitled to are not being realized?

One of the D&C instructions not being lived is the United Order. Living this is not illegal. Neither is it illegal, if done right, to do missionary work without purse or script. What about having the congregation kneel with the priest when the sacrament is being blessed? Why is this not being done?

The law in D&C 132:44 states that a woman married in the new and everlasting covenant of marriage who loses her husband to adultery must have a faithful man in the covenant to marry, even if it means plural marriage. This may be technically illegal but could quietly be lived.

And if the Lord’s laws are righteous, why should we not be willing to fight to live by them? For one thing, American laws can be changed.

The Church does not live by D&C 107:81-84 either. Intense controversies over presidents of the Church have been brought forth at times by sincere elders, and these issues never have been settled by such a trial. Usually those who present these controversies are cast out of the Church immediately.

In fact, the failure to live by this law is the kingpin that undermines any attempt by Church members to live all the other D&C laws that are currently not observed. How can a controversy be dealt with if it is automatically a sin to even have such a controversy?

Responsibility of the Members

Let’s go back to this quotation:

“Therefore, let every man stand or fall, by himself, and not for another; or not trusting another…. And if thine eye[the revelator for the Church]which seeth for thee, him that is appointed to watch over thee to show thee light, become a transgressor and offend thee, pluck him out”(JST Mark 9:44, 46; emphasis added).

Here the Lord states clearly that it is the responsibility of “EVERYMAN” to remove the “eye” of the body, when he transgresses, by holding a ‘D&C 107:81-84’-type trial. We cannot expect the Lord to overrule the members’ responsibility in doing this themselves.

This doctrine that every man is to stand or fall by himself and not automatically trust even the president of the Church is a sacred doctrine based on the principles of free agency. How can a man become like Christ and God if he cannot stand totally alone when necessary? I predict that the Church again will eventually accept this sacred doctrine and will learn to live by all the laws given in the D&C.

Take a look at the following quote from Joseph Smith:

“It is contrary to the economy of God for any member of the church, or anyone, to receive instruction for those in authority, higher than themselves; therefore you will see the impropriety of giving heed to them; but if any person have a vision or a visitation from a heavenly messenger, it must be for his own benefit and instruction; for the fundamental principles, government, and doctrine of the church are vested in the keys of the kingdom” (History of the Church, 1:338; from a letter from Joseph Smith and Frederick G. Williams to John S. Carter, Apr. 13, 1833, Kirtland, Ohio; emphasis added).

Joseph states clearly that if everything in the Church is in order and if the keys are in the Church, then this procedure is indeed in effect. But if the keys no longer reside in the Church because of transgression, then the converse is in order.

This quote was taken from a letter and is not part of the canon of revelations; so this statement is correct, but it cannot be used to overrule the revelations that are the law of the Church. At the time the Prophet Joseph said this, the head of the Church (Joseph himself) was a man endowed with the gift of God to receive and write the word of the Lord. The Church was basically “in order” at the head. So this statement certainly was a correct principle, and it was important to teach it.

The conviction that the Church could never get out of order at the head contradicts the revelations. So again, since this statement is not canonized revelation, one cannot use it to overrule the commandments and revelations given to govern the Church.

The word that the Lord gave to the Latter-day Saints gives clear instructions as to how to hold a trial over the president of the Church (or one of his counselors) to end a controversy over him. The idea that President Wilford Woodruff taught that, “If a Prophet truly did something against the will of the Lord, and did not repent, they would be [immediately] removed…” is not a canonized revelation. And yet this whole conviction — which guarantees faithful leaders — ultimately lies upon this “immediately” idea because, if the Lord does not immediately remove the leader, it implies that he must be right.

Then is there not a clear possibility that many serious errors could creep into the Church before the Lord gets around to removing him? Has this ever been the case in the past? Look at King Noah in the Book of Mormon. He was not immediately removed when he led his entire people into apostasy.

We have shown that it is the responsibility of the members of the Church to remove the president of the Church if he transgresses, and this is not the responsibility of the Lord. Thus, this tradition that we must automatically trust and sustain the current head of the Church collapses. D&C 107:81-84 and JST Mark 9:40-48 clearly place the responsibility of having a trial over the president of the Church on the members of the Church and not on the Lord:

There have been numerous extremely serious “controversies” over the heads of the Church during this dispensation, and yet not once have these controversies been settled by a trial according to the instructions given to the Church (unless we count the trial President Brigham Young held over Sidney Rigdon after Joseph died). The Church was given a government by law and not a government by men, and that law is the D&C instructions:

“Thou shalt take the things which thou hast received [the D&C revelations], which have been given unto thee in my scriptures for a law, to be My law to govern My church…”(D&C 42:59; emphasis added).

And yet the D&C is full of instructions the Church does not live, including the law we are mentioning to settle controversies over the president of the Church.

Removing Gentile Pollutions

So what could be the problem? The Book of Mormon very clearly warned against Gentile pollutions among the people in our times. And you would agree, I am sure, that the nation is full of such pollutions.

But in a world in which almost all men as soon as they get a little authority immediately exercise unrighteous dominion, am I saying that the Lord might allow such a thing to happen at the head of His church? Of course He would. One is honestly naive and foolish to think otherwise.

For one thing, the fifteen Church apostles (who are the only permanent, full-time Church leaders besides paid employees) control billions of dollars and do not show the accounting books to regular members. Thus they account only to themselves and to the IRS. Does not wealth often corrupt?

Is it not conceivable that the spirituality of men such as Joseph Smith who produced the amazing Book of Mormon and other scriptures with almost no formal education, no wealth, and relatively few followers might be different than that of men with PhD’s from non-spiritual American universities, controlling a multi-billion-dollar church corporation, who have never brought forth written oracles or translated books and condemn anyone who questions their claim to prophetic gifts?

But would the Lord allow Gentile Church leaders to cast out members who tried to bring a trial against them because of sincere concerns? Of course He would. This is the testing ground where the Lord has allowed men to do unjust things over and over and over again. Will He eventually clean it up? Yes, He will. As President Wilford Woodruff said:

“…and so He will [remove] any other man who attempts to lead the children of men astray from the oracles of God and from their duty” (The Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, sel. G. Homer Durham [1946], 212–13).

Certainly “any other man” would include men like Hitler. But did the Lord remove Hitler immediately? No. But He did eventually, and He will eventually remove every unjust leader who resists Him and His laws. This earth is the Lord’s, and in time all those who resist the Lord will be removed from any power. But not immediately.

He gave us His law for removing the president of the Church when he transgresses, so He will give us time to live by His law and will not do it Himself. He wants to see if we really have a heart to live by His laws.

Many agree that this is the Lord’s church and that He will be responsible for it. But He said that He would try us in all things (D&C 136:31), and that could certainly include letting the head of the Church get out of order and in need of being removed according to the revelations.

Denying Legitimate Rights of Members

A Church member may feel very confident that the presidents of the Church have all acted correctly, but he must decide if he believes the revelation on how to end controversies over a head of the Church. If the member uses a bunch of non-scriptural statements and quotes to support denying anyone the legitimate right to not sustain the president of the Church and to seek a trial to end a controversy over him, I am convinced that he is on the side of coercion and not on the Lord’s side.

We need to know: Is it right that a member of the priesthood be automatically cast out of the Church for not sustaining President Nelson prior to him being removed from the presidency by a proper trial?

Can you show me where in the revelations of God that my position is not correct? Does a member have the right to not sustain the president of the Church and to not reject evidences that he is in serious error? And does a member not have the right to seek a trial to end serious controversies over a president of the Church?

Remember, the Saints covenant in the temple to live by every word of the Lord contained in the scriptures, which includes the Doctrine and Covenants. They do not covenant in the temple to live by every hearsay and every Church discourse by Church presidents. If they did, they would be under covenant to accept the Adam-God doctrine, and seed of Cain doctrine which President Young clearly taught repeatedly in General Conference.

Saints Tried in All Things

Clearly no revelation proves that the Lord will not try the Saints with a situation in which the president of the Church should be tried and removed. He has said He will try the Saints in all things.

“My people must be tried in all things, that they may be prepared to receive the glory that I have for them, even the glory of Zion; and he that will not bear chastisement is not worthy of my kingdom”(D&C 136:31; emphasis added).

Is it not priestcraft and a form of idolatry in the Church that establishes a false idea that the president of the Church is above controversy? And should anyone be automatically excommunicated who chooses to not sustain the president of the Church and to not reject evidences that he is in error?

It is very unfortunate that there was not a D&C 107:81-84 trial over President Brigham Young when he was teaching the Adam-God doctrine, as Elder Orson Pratt clearly did not accept it. Such a trial would not determine if a revelation were true or false, but it would determine if a man claiming revelation were being truthful in his claim.

A bishop should have that discernment (D&C 46:27). We know some in the Church will dispute this idea. But this is the Lord’s law and not man’s, and we believe it is best to act in good faith and try to live by His laws.

This revelation says such a trial will “end the controversy.” Sounds good to us. We do not have to judge the matter; the trial will. But apparently those who want to keep the president of the Church above possible controversy want the right to make the Church leaders look righteous and ignore any evidence to the contrary. They also want the right to speak evil of anyone who does not agree with their right to make such judgments.

Church Government Today

The Church was to be a theocracy, a government by the Lord’s laws given in D&C 42:59 and not a government by men. Now that you understand, do you not agree that D&C 107:81-84 should be a critical part of that law?

Another part of that law that is not lived today is D&C 20:76 (also Moroni 4:2), which teaches that when the sacrament is blessed the congregation is to kneel with the priest. Could we not live this? The D&C is full of such instructions which the Church could live and does not, and the idolatrous doctrine of the infallibility of the First Presidency is the kingpin false teaching that keeps the members from living these other laws.

The Church today clearly has a government by men and claims that these mortal men are to be trusted and obeyed above the scriptures. They make themselves the law to the Church. It would make sense that, if the leaders of the Church were in harmony with the Lord, then these men would allow other members to not sustain them and to seek for a trial to end controversies over them. This would prove their correctness. If the Church leaders will not allow this, is it not a proof that they want to be above the law — a coercive position?

The Lord’s will is that we become like our Father in Heaven. We must accept his advice to not automatically trust any other man. And that includes the president of the Church. He can fall, or there would not be a revelation on how to hold a trial over him to possibly remove him.

Read and reread D&C 107:81-84 and JST Mark 9:40-48. Memorize these scriptures. We have a testimony of the Church and of the Doctrine and Covenants laws. If you do this, you will actively be doing something about it.

A Matter of Common Consent

Think about it. Under the present arrangement, unless you vote in the affirmative to all these changes these men have concocted, why then have a vote? If it were automatically a sin to not sustain the president of the Church and to ask for a trial to settle a controversy over him, then in honesty there would be no need to ask members to sustain him. Imagine the following being asked:

“All in favor of sustaining the president of the Church, raise your right hand; and now all in favor of committing a sin worthy of excommunication and spiritual death, you can now raise your hand to not sustain him.”

This version of sustaining is a mockery of common consent and not unlike the compulsive spirit of communism which had “free” elections where one could vote only for the communist leadership or suffer the consequences. This is very normal in a bully system for the leaders to require acts of proving one’s allegiance to those in power.

Right now are we not in the same boat as these communists? Is their form of election not the same as the common consent existing in the Lord’s church today? Or was this common consent meant to be part of the Lord’s balance of power set up in His church to give members the responsibility to detect and overrule possible errors by their leaders? Let us do some comparisons.

Does the Church ask the members to “sustain or not sustain” the Church’s teachings to not commit adultery or other great sins? The reason there are no sustaining votes over these matters is that they are not matters of common consent. Would it make sense for a leader to stand up and say, “All in favor of now allowing adultery to be committed in the Church raise your right hand”?

Adultery is not an issue of common consent, and it would be a mockery to have a sustaining vote over whether the Church should allow it. But having a sustaining vote over the president of the Church is a matter of common consent, and the right to not sustain him cannot automatically be a sin.

With the “de facto” Church rule that it is a sin to not sustain the president of the Church, valid controversies over him are not allowed to even be heard — let alone to be settled by a trial. I am sure a member would not be excommunicated just for not sustaining the president of the Church if he were to just keep quiet; but if the leaders were to catch this member telling anyone about these evidences over which the president of the Church needs to be tried, then this member would be excommunicated.

Thus Church members have been denied the right of dissent against the president of the Church. The president of the Church, a man who is mortal just the same as you and me, has been placed above all the laws of God. He has been made like unto a god, having only to answer to himself.

We read again in D&C 107:22-37 that five separate quorums were to be equal in power. This balance of power does not exist at this time. The once powerful office of Church Patriarch (D&C 124:91-96) has been removed. We are convinced that at some future point the Church will learn its lesson and live by the law given to it, and these balances of power will be again restored.

An Excommunication Story

By now you must realize that the original author who inspired this discourse has been excommunicated from the Church. He was brought before the Page Arizona High Council court in December, 1984. The stake president had privately and falsely accused him of immorality (the author never fully understood his accusations), but in the trial the only charge was apostasy.

Yet this man did not believe or accept any other church, and in no way did he believe or teach anything which would encourage anyone else to leave the Church. To him this trial was not between him and the Church but between him and men in the flesh in the Church. This trial was over the politics of men, not doctrine. He believed then and still deeply believes in the Church.

In the trial the stake president hardly let him say a thing, interrupting the man when he disagreed. And when he tried to bring up President Young’s Adam-God teachings as an example of First Presidency errors, the stake president ridiculed the idea, saying the Adam-God controversy was all misquotes and misinformation; President Young never taught anything different about Adam and God than what the Church teaches today.

This man on trial was told that six of the high councilors were to defend him (per D&C 102:15-17). When they finally had a chance to say something, one of the men who was called to defend him jumped up and said something like: “If you do not sustain the president of the Church, obviously you should be excommunicated.” Incidentally, three months after the original author’s excommunication trial, this same man who was supposed to defend him was excommunicated himself for adultery!

After this quick trial, the original author asked how to appeal the decision. Someone in the stake presidency explained he was to write a letter to the First Presidency and then give it to the stake president to send in. He did so, but the stake president refused to send it in.

However, the next stake president, over a year later, did agree to send it in. The author later received a one-line reply from President Benson’s office that his appeal was denied. He doubts President Benson actually saw his appeal.

Was this excommunication court guided by the spirit of truth and love? It is certain that it was not. It was a mockery of justice. This was clearly the politics of men defending the authority of men in power. It was not the politics of humbly and carefully living by the precepts of the Holy Ghost found in the scriptures.

This man whose experiences are described above is a seventh-generation member of the Church. He and his extended family dating back for generations have supported the Church with much effort, time, and money. One would think someone in the Church would care enough to come and talk things through with him and try to understand and resolve the matter.

The only charge against this man was apostasy, and yet he did not really claim to be right but just to have the right to not reject evidences against the Church president. His excommunication was definitely influenced by the politics of men, not the living of a gospel of love.

Conclusion

So if what has been said is basically correct, one of the main obstacles to the coming forth of Zion at this time is the failure of the present Gentile church to allow members to legitimately not sustain the president of the Church and his counselors and to seek to settle sincere controversies over them by a trial as explained in D&C 107:81-84.

If members have gumption enough to support their God-given right of an honest dissent over the leadership, then there is a good chance that these members will receive the promised blessings of living all of God’s commandments. On the other hand, if they neglect their responsibility, they will be subject to the other promise of not receiving the promised blessings.

As men were inspired by the Holy Ghost to write the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17), it is logical to believe that what is written in the Bible, which says to do and not do, believe and not believe, should be strictly adhered to; otherwise any secular book could take its place. We as priesthood holders should take the Ten Commandments seriously, as they are our guidelines to living a correct and exemplary lifestyle.

One commandment which we do not take as seriously as we should is the fourth commandment. Yes, it is not too hard for us to avoid lying, stealing, murdering, and coveting, but what about that fourth commandment? Let us quote it and then review it to see if we are taking it seriously enough.

“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor they daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates.

For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:8-11).

Notice He leaves out the wife. I will comment on that later. Now let us count: One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Note the days of the week: First is Sunday, second is Monday, third is Tuesday, etc. The first six days are work days; the seventh day is Saturday. That is the day of rest, period!

Here it is clear that the Sabbath falls on a Saturday:

“In the end of the sabbath [Saturday], as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week [Sunday], came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher” (Matthew 28:1).

Keeping the Sabbath comes with a promised blessing:

“If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day, and [instead] call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words; then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it” (Isaiah 58:13-14).

The fourth commandment was the one commandment that Jesus admonished His followers to pray that they might not break. Remember His words:

“But pray ye the Lord, that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day” (Matthew 24:20).

Was the Sabbath Day Changed?

But did not the Savior change the Sabbath to the first day? Let us see if we can find enough evidence to either make it not so important in our life or determine whether or not the Bible gives us a clear indication that it was actually changed from the seventh day to the first day of the week — Sunday — as most so-called Christians practice it today.

To Whom Was the Sabbath Given?

We could use the excuse that the Sabbath was a Jewish belief, and the Gentiles were not obliged to honor it. But when one thinks of this, it does not make sense. The Sabbath was instigated long before the present Jewish nation or the Gentiles even existed.

It is quite clear that the Sabbath was given to all the tribes, not just the tribe of Judah. When Moses, who was a Levite, received the Ten Commandments, it was to the entire twelve tribes. The Lord was extremely angry at them when the first thing they did when given the manna to sustain them in the wilderness was to gather it on the Sabbath. The Lord didn’t distinguish between the tribes, as each tribe was equally responsible to God for their conduct in obeying His holy law, the Ten Commandments (Exodus 16:28).

How Long Has the Sabbath Existed?

God had finished His creation and “…behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31).

“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it, because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made” (Genesis 2:1-3).

What did Paul say long after the resurrection of the Savior?

“For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, and God did rest the seventh day from all his works.… For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief” (Hebrews 4:4, 10-11).

Apparently there were some, on account of disbelief in the Sabbath, that entered not into their rest and suffered spiritually because of it. Jesus said:

“The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath” (Mark 2:27).

Jesus honored the Sabbath by worshipping in the synagogue. It was His custom (Luke 4:16). The Sabbath existed from the beginning, and there is no evidence that the Savior changed it.

In fact, the Sabbath was to be in existence throughout eternity. Speaking of the end of times:

“For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord” (Isaiah 66:22-23).

For what reason? Let us see what the Lord says:

“Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them” (Ezekiel 20:12).

Did the Savior Do Away with the Law?

Another excuse by some to not keep the seventh-day Sabbath is that the Savior did away with the law upon the cross so that we are no longer under the law but are under grace. But how can one do away with the law? If the law is done away with, then consequently there is no sin; and if there is no sin, then there is no need of a Savior. The people who teach this doctrine are mistaken. Christ’s great commission was to save the people from their sins, not in their sins.

The breaking of the Sabbath in the old days was a very serious sin; “…sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4). “For the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23).

Keeping the Sabbath Day holy is the fourth commandment. What did the Savior say about the law?

“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17).

What did James say?

“For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2: 8-12).

When Did the Disciples Meet Together?

There is one other very deceptive teaching which tries in a subtle way to make it appear, without any scriptural support, that the Savior and his disciples changed the Sabbath — the seventh day — to the first day of the week:

“Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you” (John 20:19).

This was not an arranged meeting between Jesus and His disciples; for it was not because of the Sabbath, but “…the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews.…”

This same instance was recounted by Luke:

“…Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit” (Luke 24:36-37).

Nowhere in the Bible is there the slightest intimation that Jesus would change the Sabbath. What did He say? He said it was well to do good on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:10-12).

“And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read” (Luke 4:16).

“Therefore the Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:28).

“But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day” (Matthew 24:20).

The event for which this admonition was given did not take place until some thirty years after His ascension. (Jerusalem was besieged in AD 66 by Cestius.)

When Did the Disciples Break Bread?

Again let us look in the book of Acts after the Savior’s ascension, in regards to the claim that the Sabbath Day had been changed. In Acts 20:7, the impression could be conveyed that such was the case because the disciples were together on the first day of the week to “break bread”.

Of course as reasoning goes, there must be some spiritual significance to this. And what greater honor could be paid than to change the sacred attributes of the seventh-day Sabbath to the first day and then, for good measure, call it the Lord’s Day? And that of course has been done.

But the first day is not the “Sabbath”; it is the “Lord’s Day”. The first day of the week being the Lord’s Day has not changed the Bible Sabbath one jot or one tittle. The seventh-day Sabbath still remains the “Sabbath of the Lord thy God” (Exodus 20:10).

We know from further study of Acts that the breaking of bread was a daily occurrence:

“And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart” (Acts 2:46).

Why did they do this? They couldn’t hold meetings of the believers in the temple; they had to go from house to house to administer the sacrament.

How Important is the Fourth Commandment?

No, there is not one text in the New or Old Testaments which would indicate that the changing of the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day has the endorsement of God. No, not one! The Sabbath Day commandment is number four on the list and is just as important as the rest. Let us go back to what James said:

“For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10).

In other words, if a man commits adultery, he is guilty of breaking all of the commandments. Would it not then apply equally to the fourth commandment also? I think so. But is the fourth commandment as important?

There are so many scriptures in the Bible that promise great blessings if the Sabbath is faithfully kept — and so many horrible cursings if not kept — that I cannot help but think that it is just as or even more important than the others. And the word everlasting is used in many of them! Remember, keeping the Sabbath is in remembrance of the covenant between Israel and God.

What Was Wilford Woodruff’s Opinion?

Now let us apply all that I have written to the Latter-day Saints or Mormons. We claim that Joseph Smith brought forth the fullness of the gospel. Yet he accepted the first-day-of-the-week Sabbath without question.

There is no mention of the seventh-day Sabbath being lived in any revelations or discourses that were given. The only reference on this subject came in the journal of Wilford Woodruff in January 1868, several years after Joseph Smith’s passing. Wilford Woodruff wrote the following:

“Again there is another subject I wish to speak off. There is one subject upon my mind & has been for years that is contrary to my Practice & the Practice of this People & the that is Concerning the Sabbath.
I never thought that the Jews or ten Tribes of Israel would Ever keep the gentile Sabbath. That is the first day of the week.

When I was Baptized into this Church I was keeping the Saturday for the Sabbath. But I knew the Later day saints were the true Church of Christ & if I had imbibed 100 tradition I would have given them up for this. I don’t know as the Latter day Saints will Ever keep this day & it does not make any difference whether the do or not for the Lord will dictate them Just as he please in all those things.

But when Moses received this Commandment to keep the seventh day of the week The Lord [said] this law shall remain as a Statue Between me & the House of Israel forever throughout all your Generation. I have Never found this Commandment Changed By any revelation from God.

Jesus & the Apostles kept the 7 day of the week Called the Jewish Sabbath. Yet the Apostles did meet in some Instances on the first day of the week to Break bread &c. Constantine Changed the day of worship from the seventh to the first day of the week about 600 years after Christ [actually 400 years after Christ].

We received a Revelation in the doctrine & Covenants in the Early age of this Church to Meet upon the Lords day to Break Bread &c. But the Lord did not reveal which day of our time was the Exact d[ay?] that the Lord Commanded Israel to keep.

At the Close of the remarks President Young read the revelation and said that there had been so much Change in time that we do not know the Exact time that was the seventh day. President Young made many remarks upon various subjects” (Wilford Woodruff Journal, Volume 6, pp. 390-391; emphasis added).

According to Wilford Woodruff’s journal entry, the subject had been on his mind for years. It was apparent that he felt that the Sabbath should be the seventh day, for he said that it “… is contrary to my Practice and the Practice of this People….”

The Gentile Sabbath

“I have never thought that the Jews or ten Tribes of Israel would Ever keep the gentile Sabbath. That is the first day of the week” (emphasis added).

It is quite evident that Wilford Woodruff understood that he was living in the time of the Gentiles. Then he says:

“…it does not make any difference whether the[y] [the Gentiles] do or not, for the Lord will dictate [to] them Just as he please[s] in all those things.”

In other words, it was the time of the Gentiles. It was their Sabbath. But when the time of the Gentiles comes to an end and the true blood of Israel including the true Jews begin to be gathered in, they will not accept the Gentile Sabbath.

It is surprising also that Wilford Woodruff mentions that there was only one revelation received by Joseph Smith that comes anywhere near to mentioning anything that should change the Sabbath Day.

He does not mention Doctrine and Covenants Section 59, which briefly mentions portions of the Ten Commandments. Then verse 10 says:

“For verily this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High.”

It is plainly seen here that the Lord’s Day was indeed the Sabbath of the Gentiles, as President Woodruff understood it. The recorded date of this revelation was August 7, 1831, which was a Sunday.

President Woodruff then quotes Moses:

“… this law shall remain as a Statu[t]e Between me and the House of Israel forever throughout all your Generation[s].”

Next he comments, “I have Never found this Commandment Changed By any revelation from God.”

Then President Woodruff mentions that “Jesus & the Apostles kept the… Sabbath”, etc.

He also mentions that when he was baptized into the Church he was keeping the Saturday Sabbath, but after coming into the Church he changed it accordingly.

I find it kind of strange for Brigham Young to use the lame excuse that we really didn’t know which was the seventh day. If the Lord said the first day of the week (Sunday) was called the Lord’s Day, then the seventh day would naturally be Saturday. Being such an intelligent man, how could he not figure that out?

So by this revelation did the Lord really change the Sabbath Day? This is already evident: No, He did not. He was careful not to call the first day the Sabbath Day because it was not. It was the Lord’s Day, the same name the Apostles called it in the Bible.

The Lord knew what He was doing. He was allowing the Gentiles to use the Lord’s Day as their day of rest. And He promised them blessings if they kept it in a sincere manner.

The Most Challenging Day of the Week

In most cases the people in the early restored church did honor the Lord’s Day as their Sabbath. In accordance with this commandment, both men and women in the Church, especially those who had families — but particularly the women — had the most challenging day of the week.

Each woman had to get herself, her husband, and her children ready for Sunday School and church. There was the pressing and starching of clothes and all else that is involved in getting the family spruced up in their best.

The horses had to be harnessed, the cows had to be milked, and the men had to prepare and organize for their various church responsibilities. In many of the families it was the busiest and most stressful day of the week, especially for the women.

Today it is a little — but not much — easier for the women. Some women I have heard, mostly in a joking manner but with some truth involved, make the comment that when the Lord said that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath, that it is in fact true. The work that needs to be done on the Sabbath has been left for the women to do.

It seems surprising that with all of Brigham Young’s wisdom that, by some, he has been compared to Solomon in that he would not notice and possibly question why the workload was so great — especially on the women — on a day that was supposed to be a day of rest. To me, rest means relaxation, doing nothing, and taking it easy.

The Jews at the time of the Savior had it down so that one could only go so far from home on the Sabbath, just a few steps. It was called a Sabbath Day’s journey.

Why a Day of Rest?

When God said in the Book of Genesis that on the seventh day He rested, I believe He really meant it. After all, He had just completed His work of creating this beautiful world. Whether or not it took Him a billion years to His day, it doesn’t matter. He needed a rest. He wanted to relax and take it easy after going to all of the trouble of preparing an earth for His children.

God said to His children: You are going to remember this great work I have done for you by your act of doing the same thing every seven days. If you don’t do this, you will soon forget the great work I have done for you and who your Father in Heaven is. And that is why it is so important that we keep the seventh-day Sabbath, the day of rest.

Sunday Is a Work Day?

Even though the Doctrine and Covenants intimates that rest should be done on the Lord’s Day, it is really not a day of rest according to the Lord’s word. Remember that He said, “Six days shalt thou labor.” He is stating clearly that the first day, along with the next five, are workdays. So now are you beginning to understand?

The first day of the week is a workday, as every woman knows. It is the hardest and most stressful day of the week. It is when we work the hardest, not for men or for ourselves but for the Lord. I imagine it was His hardest day also to get the earth in its proper place in the universe to begin His creation procedure. Whew!

On the first day of the week, it is recorded that the Savior ascended into heaven. It was really a special day. The Lord’s Day was well named, for it was the day when He overcame all things, even death. This day celebrated an entirely different happening and had nothing to do with the Sabbath.

Do we have two days of rest then? No, Israel has only one — the seventh day. The first day is when we work for the Lord.

The Falling Away of the Gentiles

The Gentile church still keeps the first day, but the Lord has indicated that:

“… the last [Gentiles] shall be first, and the first [Israel] shall be last” (1 Nephi 13:42).

First the Savior came to the Jews, and the Jews rejected Him. Then His disciple Paul went to the Gentiles who accepted the gospel wholeheartedly.

The Lord’s church was set up among the Gentiles; but over time the Gentiles, because of their mixed blood, soon had hundreds of different understandings of the Savior’s teachings. As a result, the church became totally corrupted (the great apostasy).

But it had been prophesied that those who were the last would have the gospel preached to them first. Therefore, the Lord sent the Prophet Joseph Smith to do this great work, but, just as in Moses’ time, the Gentile nation has rejected the higher laws.

The Gentiles initially accepted the fullness of the gospel firsthand, but, even before Joseph Smith’s martyrdom, he could not reveal all to them because he said that those of his own apostles would seek his life if he revealed all that he knew. And just like the Jews killed their Savior, the Gentiles likewise killed their own savior.

A few understood and followed the Lord’s instructions, but then gradually, as predicted, there would be a falling away. And just like John Taylor said, the day would come when you couldn’t tell the difference between a Latter-day Saint and a blackleg. Isaiah said:

“They have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinances, and broken the everlasting covenant.”

The Time of the Gentiles Has Ended

Because of the leaders who have acted according to the desires of the people, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been corrupted by the Gentiles, and the time of their tenure has ended. Now the Lord will commence His cleansing. The Gentiles who now control the Church will be exposed and discarded, and the true blood of Israel will be identified and take their rightful place.

Yes, Wilford Woodruff understood that someday this would be the case. What did he say?

“I have never thought that the Jews or ten Tribes of Israel would Ever keep the gentile Sabbath. That is the first day of the week.”

But by Wilford Woodruff’s speech you can tell he did not want to get the ire of Brigham Young, so he did not elaborate too much. Yes, this very wise gentleman Wilford Woodruff understood that, when the time of the Gentiles ended, this Gentile Sabbath would be done away with, and the seventh-day Sabbath would be reinstated.

Charlemagne, way back in history, established the first-day Sabbath, and Joseph Smith was rightfully never given instructions to rectify it. It was the Gentile Sabbath.

The true Sabbath was made for the twelve tribes of Israel and the tribe of Levi. As Wilford Woodruff said:

“I don’t know as the Latter day Saints will Ever keep this day & it does not make any difference whether the[y] do or not.”

Why? Because they were Gentiles, and it was the time of the Gentiles.

This same Gentile nation had so corrupted the law of plural marriage and the law of adoption that God had this great man Wilford Woodruff issue the Manifesto. The federal government thought it was because they wanted to become a state that the Manifesto was issued.

This was true in part, but it was mainly due to so many of the priesthood holders breaking these laws by abusing them that these laws were taken from the Church and made an individual choice. Remember, if you don’t keep a law, it is broken.

Don’t we as Latter-day Saints know that the time of the Gentiles has ended? Each one of us must begin to live at least the Ten Commandments as given to the children of Israel. This includes keeping the seventh-day Sabbath and also working on the first day for the Lord.

It is a wonderful thought. Most of us could easily keep the seventh-day Sabbath. To most of us it is not a work day anyway, and on Sunday how much work could be done for the Lord?

If all of the members of the Church were to shed their Sunday clothes after services or were to hold their services on Saturday evening and then go to work for the Lord on the Lord’s Day building whatever might be needed to build up His Kingdom, contributing millions of work hours building homes for the poor, planting gardens, and making His footstool beautiful, wouldn’t that be a marvelous thing? Think about it!

Remember, the time of the Gentiles is over. They are done, kaput! We now as Israelites must start adhering to at least the Ten Commandments. That would include the fourth commandment. The end times are coming, and we must be prepared, for we know that all those who are not keeping the Ten Commandments and who are not living in places of refuge will be destroyed in the promised calamities.

Separation of the Righteous from the Wicked

Have you wondered how the Lord would separate the righteous from the wicked? Possibly this is one of the ways. Those who do not keep the true Sabbath include every heathen nation and all of the Christians, both Catholic and Protestants.

You say that it then would include all of the so-called Jews and the Mohammedans. No, it would not include them because they do not accept Christ as the Savior of the world. What about the Seventh-Day Adventists? Well, have they accepted Joseph Smith?

All of the above-mentioned groups including the Seventh-Day Adventists do not keep or understand the Lord’s Day, which is Sunday. It will be up to the Lord to save whom He will, for He is a merciful God. Let us be prepared in any case. Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy!

“Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.

Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.

Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed” (Exodus 31:13-17).

Our Responsibilities

What is the objective for some of us, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in publishing this blog? It is to make us all aware of the danger we face in not heeding the commandments of the Lord… assuming we are not already doing so. Are we doing as well as we could or should? If not, how can we rectify our actions as members of the Lord’s true church?

We are not concerned with the leadership of the Church. If there is anything wrong in the Church, ultimately, it is not the leaders’ fault. It is the members’ fault. This has always been the case in any age of this world. The people get the leaders they deserve. If there have been any changes or modifications of doctrine, it is because of the desire of the majority of the members of the Church that these changes have been made.

Take, for example, the controversial doctrine of the new and everlasting covenant of marriage, taught in Section 132 of the Doctrine and Covenants. Was it the Church president’s fault that this doctrine was discontinued? Was it the Church leadership who instigated its end? No. It was the members’ wishes. When put to vote, only 10% of the membership chose in favor of this most sacred law; therefore, God allowed us to discontinue its practice.

Even at its zenith, only 2 ½ percent of the Church membership lived this principle. Furthermore, most of the men and women (of the 2 ½ percent) who embraced this law did not live it correctly. Except for a few families, there were strife and malice, favoritism, and many more unholy and unfair actions among most of those who tried to live it.

The people as a whole had lost the meaning, spirit, and reason for living this most sacred covenant. They did not understand that this marriage was by He who is everlasting, meaning that each and every instance had to involve revelation. It was given to men and women only by revelation. God alone would be the one to determine if a man or woman were ready and worthy of such an arrangement.

Those who went on their own to live this principle may have had the proper understanding at first. However, because there was no central leadership, corrupt men took over; the vilest form of marriage arrangements came into being, making this holy sacrament a total mockery and failure. In most instances, these men have made it into a brothel-and-harem quagmire that is totally devoid of God’s love, wisdom, and mercy. God has a label for this. He calls it an abomination.

The Church authorities changed the garment for the same reason. The people became ashamed of it showing outside their fashionably scant outfits. It was the will of the people to have it changed.

These same people were also offended by some of the temple ordinances. Consequently, the leaders deleted or changed these holy covenants to conform to the people’s wishes. There were a few who objected to these changes because they knew that these changes were in error, but their voices were disregarded and unheeded because the majority fully embraced the changes.

We all must be aware that the Lord will soon arrive and judge us all, and we must also realize this includes the living and the dead. If you are not strong enough to object to these compromises when you are alive, you may have a little difficulty when you face your judgment. Those of us who are still living have a chance to do what? Repent is the word.

If enough of us step forward and confront our bishops and stake authorities, telling them that we desire to conform to all of God’s commandments laid out so plainly for us through the prophets Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and John Taylor, we can assure you that God will see to it that either the present leadership will repent or that proper authorities will be chosen who will conform to our wishes. It is up to us as members to step forward.

We erred and demanded the lesser blessings as the people did at the time of Moses. Let us get back to the greater promises being fulfilled because we are worthy to receive these blessings. Rewards are only based on works, not words (D&C 78:7).

If you think you are going to the celestial kingdom, my friends, you are totally deceived. You must live God’s commandments to be worthy and qualify for the great rewards of the celestial realms. There are insufficient works left in the LDS Church that prepare us for this privilege. And we, the membership, are mostly at fault.

We have allowed this watered-down version of the gospel to happen. We cannot blame it totally on the Church authorities. We, the membership, wanted and demanded this watered-down telestial-kingdom version of the gospel.

We will not be in the bosom of Abraham. We will not be privileged to have our own kingdoms, and we will not even have the privilege of the eternal association of our marriage partners. And if you believe you will, you are sorely deceived. Besides this, the covenants made in the temple are not valid anymore. These covenants cannot be realized because they are forbidden to be enacted.

Let us ask ourselves a couple of questions:

Do you live the law of consecration or even understand what it involves? The correct living of this law is absolutely necessary for qualifying to enter into the celestial kingdom.

Do you really live the everlasting covenant of marriage? The present covenants we make in the temple (assuming they are valid at the time they are made) are actually only valid promises if we live all of God’s commandments to the end of our lives. Are we keeping all of God’s commandments? And only if God accepts our efforts, which include living the principle of plural marriage and the living of all other laws, will we then be called by revelation to participate in the real marriage ceremony which will seal our spouse to us for eternity. How many of these real sealings are taking place today, or are there any at all?

You have been led to believe that your marriage is for eternity if you are married in the temple. This is false doctrine. The temple marriage performed in the Church today has been conformed to the laws of the land. The person performing the ceremony is an agent of the government who can legally perform these marriages in the temple. These marriages are then recognized by government authorities as a legal marriage. Is this then a temple marriage? You make that distinction.

All of the marriages performed in the temple today are temporal marriages only, with a promise that if lived in a righteous manner may qualify at a later date to be an eternal arrangement. If you follow the temple ceremony carefully, it states this clearly. Do these millions of people “married” in the temple realize that the eternal part of it is on condition only? How many of these marriages that you are aware of have had the eternal part of their marriage performed at a later date through the principle of revelation?

We know from early Church records that men and women were called by the spirit of revelation by those in authority to present themselves before these authorities in their temple clothing, and then these eternal sealings were performed. These people were sealed to be kings and queens, priests and priestesses in God’s kingdom by the Holy Spirit of Promise. These sealings were called the second anointings.

These men and women had lived their covenants in a perfect manner and were called by revelation. Consequently, they were entitled to these ordinances being performed on their behalf. Over time, there were fewer and fewer of these ordinances performed, and today there is no way on earth that the Church can perform these ordinances at all. The main reason is that the Church forbids anyone to even live the sacred laws that would qualify them to have these ordinances performed.

All those who have been “married” in the temple should be aware of this, and if they believe that this ordinance is of an eternal nature, they are mistaken. If every one of them were to muster enough courage to go to the Church authorities demanding that all the deletions and corruptions that have been made (which make it impossible for anyone to reach the celestial kingdom) be reversed, we believe that something would be done about it.

If the membership refuses to do this, they have only themselves to blame. When the day of judgment comes (as to where they are to be assigned in the hereafter), they definitely will not go where they think they are going. Actually, we believe these qualifications are understood by very few today.

We hope these examples help us understand what has happened in the Church and just how serious the problem has become. These examples are only a small portion of what is wrong. This topic could be elaborated on extensively.

What will it take to make us really wake up to our awful situation? This does not mean that some of the blame does not lie at the feet of the General Authorities. They could have steered us correctly and called us to repentance. But who would have listened? No one likes to be told they are wrong. And such a continual tirade would have turned the majority of the membership off.

It is only the membership that can rectify the situation. Pointing the finger at the authorities and saying they are to blame does not do a bit of good. It is similar to a growing child who blames all his woes on his parents. It just promotes guilt and anger and does not do any good whatsoever. Only when these accusations cease and the realization comes that only we can rectify these errors and abuses can results begin to show.

Let us take responsibility for these woes and do everything we can to correct the errors that have been made. It will be a great step forward. Then, even if we fail, we ourselves will be vindicated and be able to go before the judgment with no excuses, showing that we really tried.

The Lord judges correctly, so who knows? We may be able to be welcomed in the higher realms of His kingdom having made this concerted effort to set things right. Let us look carefully at an occurrence that happened in ancient history, which has been recently repeated:

He was a weak-willed, vacillating, milquetoast figure who stood for very little but his own self-interest. His positions changed depending on who confronted him. The one who stood before him the most was his wife who manipulated him and the government which he controlled.

She, his wife, was a highly motivated, politically directed feminist who was well versed on how to use her position for personal gain. There was no doubt about it. She was the brains of the two, and she was as hard as nails. Her ambition was never satisfied.

Their greed was finally exposed through a mismanaged, fraudulent, real estate deal. Evidence of her involvement was on the incriminating government documents. At least one man died because he knew too much. But even then, she was so feared that no one dared ask too many questions.

Does this sound familiar? Their names were Ahab and Jezebel. They ruled the Kingdom of Israel 2,300 years ago. They wove such a web of witchcraft that the whole nation became corrupt. Government officials lied about one another, and innocent people were falsely charged and prosecuted.

Only a few men were brave enough and had the courage to speak up. But in order for these men to survive, like Elijah, they had to live in caves. Elijah was the only one to publicly challenge Ahab and Jezebel but became so discouraged at one point that he begged God to take his life.

Now do you believe that there were many good men and women living in Israel at that time? Yes, I am sure there were hundreds or even thousands who were living God’s laws as best they could under the circumstances. Why were all these good people destroyed or made to suffer exceedingly when God’s judgments were finally executed because of the wickedness of the king and queen?

The reason is quite clear. They did not stand up for righteousness like Elijah but were afraid to say anything in fear of losing their status in the kingdom. They did not exercise their priesthood and condemn and confront the king and queen who had brought into their kingdom the corruption of witchcraft, prostitution, and murder. They may have spoken out about the apparent evil but were careful not to point fingers or disturb the status quo. In other words, the priesthood was impotent.

If we as members of God’s church do not take a stand, begin to repent, and separate ourselves from the wicked, cannot the Lord assign us the same punishment as He did to those living at the time of Ahab and Jezebel?

Current Leadership Recognition

Is there any recognition today among the Church authorities expressing their concern about the general state of apostasy taking place in the LDS Church? Yes, there has been. For example, President Joseph Fielding Smith once wrote:

“It is a very apparent fact that we have traveled far and wide in the past 20 years. What the future will bring I do not know. But if we drift as far afield from fundamental things in the next 20 years, what will be left of the foundation laid by the Prophet Joseph Smith? It is easy for one who observes to see how the apostasy came about in the primitive church of Christ. Are we not traveling the same road?” (Joseph Fielding Smith Journal, Dec. 28, 1938).

President Ezra Taft Benson once declared:

“Not only are there apostates within our midst, but there are also apostate doctrines that are sometimes taught in our classes and from our pulpits and that appear in our publications. And these apostate precepts of men cause our people to stumble. As the Book of Mormon, speaking of our day, states:

‘They have all gone astray save it be a few, who are the humble followers of Christ; nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men’ (2 Nephi 28:14)” (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, pp. 89-90; emphasis added).

Notice how President Benson associates the scripture in 2 Nephi 28:14 with the present members of the LDS Church. Most of the time when this scripture is used, the assumption is that it refers to those outside the LDS Church. However, it is clear that President Benson interpreted this verse quite differently. He pointed his finger directly at us, the members of the LDS Church. President Benson also pointed out the following:

“Watchmen — what of the night? We must respond by saying that all is not well in Zion” (Ensign, May 1986, p. 4; emphasis added; see JST Isaiah 21:11).

This statement was made concerning the conditions of the Church from President Benson’s perspective. Basically, President Benson has told us that the Church is under condemnation because of the lack of diligence given to the word of God:

“The Lord declares that the whole Church and all the children of Zion are under condemnation because of the way we have treated the Book of Mormon. This condemnation has not been lifted, nor will it be until we repent (D&C 84:51-81). The Lord states that we must not only say but we must do!

We have neither said enough nor have we done enough with this divine instrument — the key to conversion. As a result, as individuals, as families, and as the Church, we sometimes have felt the scourge and judgment God said would be ‘poured out upon the children of Zion’ because of our neglect of this book (D&C 84:58).

The Lord inspired His servant Lorenzo Snow to reemphasize the principle of tithing to redeem the Church from financial bondage. In those days the General Authorities took that message to the members of the Church. So too in our day the Lord has inspired His servant to reemphasize the Book of Mormon to get the Church out from under condemnation — the scourge and judgment”

(Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, pp. 63-66; see also A Witness and a Warning, pp. vii-viii and p. 9).

Imagine if similar words were uttered by Alma to the church in his day regarding the way they were treating the brass plates. If Alma had said that the church in his day was under condemnation, we would likely view it as a very serious situation, one of great apostasy and wickedness. When viewed in this light, we can perhaps better understand the direct language President Benson has used with us in our time.

Let us read what other current Church leaders have to say concerning this matter. In a 1990 meeting with regional representatives of the LDS Church, Elder Boyd K. Packer expressed his concern about the state of the Church today:

“In recent years I have felt, and I think I am not alone, that we are losing the ability to correct the course of the church. You cannot appreciate how deeply I feel about the importance of this present opportunity unless you know the regard, the reverence, I have for the Book of Mormon and how seriously I have taken the warnings of the prophets, particularly Alma and Helaman.

Both Alma and Helaman told the church in their day. They warned about fast growth, the desire to be accepted by the world, to be popular, and particularly they warned about prosperity. Each time those conditions existed in combination, the church has drifted off course. All of those conditions are present in the church today.

Helaman repeatedly warned, I think four times he used these words, that the fatal drift of the church could occur in the space of not many years. In one instance it took only six years” (Helaman 6:32; 7:6; 11:26) (“Let Them Govern Themselves”, Regional Representatives Seminar, Mar. 30, 1990; emphasis added).

“We are losing the ability to correct the course of the church.” This implies two very important points: First, the Church is indeed off course. Otherwise there would be no need to correct its course. Second, we are so far off course that Elder Packer is worried that we are losing the ability to correct it. This is coming from the present Twelve Apostles of the Church!

Likewise, Elder L. Tom Perry has made some rather direct comments about the state of the Church today. In a recent conference address, he taught that some of the most condemning prophecies found in the Book of Mormon apply not to those outside the LDS Church but to those within it. In the October 1992 General Conference, Elder Perry stated:

“He [Moroni] realizes that the record will be a voice of warning to future generations of what occurs when nations like his own turn away from the teachings of the Lord. It is from the depths of his heart that Moroni cries out to those who will eventually receive the record. He wants to spare those who read his account the heartache and misery which comes from disobedience.

He writes first to the members of the Church and then to those who have not embraced the gospel of Jesus Christ. Moroni’s last words to the members of the Church are written as a voice of warning. He writes as one who sees the history of his people repeating itself in the future. From the Book of Mormon we read:

‘Behold, the Lord hath shown unto me great and marvelous things concerning that which must shortly come, at that day when these things shall come forth among you. Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.

And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto envying, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities; and your churches, yea, even every one, have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts. For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted.

O ye pollutions, ye hypocrites, ye teachers, who sell yourselves for that which will canker, why have ye polluted the holy church of God? Why are ye ashamed to take upon you the name of Christ? Why do ye not think that greater is the value of an endless happiness than that misery which never dies–because of the praise of the world?’ (Mormon 8:34-38).

I guess one of the greatest mysteries of mortality is why mankind fails to learn from history. Why do those who profess to be true followers of Christ so often become victims of the enticements of the world? The evidence is so strong regarding the blessings which accrue to those who trust in and follow the ways the Lord has prescribed for us” (Conference Report, Ensign, Nov. 1992; emphasis added).

The question could be asked: Did the saints hearing this understand its significance? I doubt that they did. According to Elder Perry, these verses apply directly to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Elder Perry associates the following evils with those in the LDS Church today, as prophesied by Moroni long ago:

Walking in the pride of their hearts

Lifting themselves up in the pride of their hearts

Wearing very fine apparel

Envying

Strifes

Malice

Persecutions

All manner of iniquities

Being polluted

Being hypocrites

Selling themselves for that which will canker

Polluting the holy church of God

Polluting every single one of their churches

Being ashamed to take upon them the name of Christ

Loving money, and their substance, and their fine apparel, and the adorning of their churches more than they love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted

Not thinking that greater is the value of an endless happiness than that misery which never dies — because of the praise of the world

Who can say that the Church leaders are not among the most righteous people on the earth? Their garments are spotless. They religiously keep the Sunday sabbath, attend to all their church functions, give blessings, are faithful to their wives, and raise wonderful families. Are these not God’s servants? Let us look at the full Book of Mormon quotation:

“Behold, the Lord hath shown unto me great and marvelous things concerning that which must shortly come, at that day when these things shall come forth among you. Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.

And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto envying, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities; and your churches, yea, even every one, have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts. For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted.

O ye pollutions, ye hypocrites, ye teachers, who sell yourselves for that which will canker, why have ye polluted the holy church of God? Why are ye ashamed to take upon you the name of Christ? Why do ye not think that greater is the value of an endless happiness than that misery which never dies–because of the praise of the world?

Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick and the afflicted to pass by you, and notice them not? Yea, why do ye build up your secret abominations to get gain, and cause that widows should mourn before the Lord, and also orphans to mourn before the Lord, and also the blood of their fathers and their husbands to cry unto the Lord from the ground, for vengeance upon your heads?

Behold, the sword of vengeance hangeth over you; and the time soon cometh that he avengeth the blood of the saints upon you, for he will not suffer their cries any longer” (Mormon 8:34-41; emphasis added).

Very serious consequences are promised. The iniquities described above do not refer to the sins of drunkenness, drugs, or debauchery but about the more serious crimes of pride, wearing of fine apparel, envying, and strife. This results in the persecution of the righteous; the love of money, goods, and fine apparel; the adornment of churches; and, finally, desiring the praise of the world. But the most serious iniquity is the abandonment of the law of continuance, which is described in verse 40 as not taking the widows’ and orphans’ rights seriously.

Does this refer to the Church leadership? No! It refers mainly to us, the membership! If these accusations do not seem serious, then we as Church members are not seeing things clearly. We are blinded and are in total darkness to the reality that the Lord is actually addressing us here. The preceding list clearly describes an apostate people. How can one interpret Elder Perry’s comments in any other way than to say that he is using Moroni’s prophecy to describe the LDS Church today?

Years before Elder Perry’s teachings, Elder H. Verlan Anderson of the First Council of the Seventy also pointed out that these verses in the Book of Mormon referred directly to the LDS Church:

“Moroni was similarly explicit in predicting false teachings among the saints. Reflect upon the unmistakable implications of this point-blank indictment of members of the ‘holy church of God’:

‘O ye pollutions, ye hypocrites, ye teachers, who sell yourselves for that which will canker, why have ye polluted the holy church of God?’ (Mormon 8:38).

Since there is only one ‘holy church of God’ on earth, and since it is being polluted, the blame therefore appears to rest upon the teachers and hypocrites within that church” (The Great and Abominable Church of the Devil, pp. 170-171; emphasis added).

President Spencer W. Kimball had the same understanding:

“Saints must keep the covenant of consecration. The Lord has blessed us as a people with a prosperity unequaled in times past. The resources that have been placed in our power are good, and necessary to our work here on the earth. But I am afraid that many of us have been surfeited with flocks and herds and acres and barns and wealth and have begun to worship them as false gods, and they have power over us. Do we have more of these good things than our faith can stand?

Many people spend most of their time working in the service of a self-image that includes sufficient money, stocks, bonds, investment portfolios, property, credit cards, furnishings, automobiles, and the like to guarantee carnal security throughout, it is hoped, a long and happy life. Forgotten is the fact that our assignment is to use these many resources in our families and quorums to build up the kingdom of God—to further the missionary effort and the genealogical and temple work; to raise our children up as fruitful servants unto the Lord; to bless others in every way, that they may also be fruitful.

Instead, we expend these blessings on our own desires, and as Moroni said, ‘Ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick and the afflicted to pass by you, and notice them not’(Mormon 8:39)” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 357; emphasis added).

President Kimball duplicated this understanding:

“…when I review the performance of this people in comparison with what is expected, I am appalled and frightened. If we insist on spending all our time and resources building up for ourselves a worldly kingdom, that is exactly what we will inherit. In spite of our delight in defining ourselves as modern, and our tendency to think we possess a sophistication that no people in the past ever had–in spite of these things, we are, on the whole, an idolatrous people–a condition most repugnant to the Lord” (“The False Gods We Worship,” Ensign, June 1976).

Some of the current LDS Church leaders are extremely concerned regarding the apostasy within the Church. They use the word apostasy to describe our current situation. These accusations are not coming from enemies or outsiders of the LDS Church. These accusations are coming from within — from the leadership of the LDS Church.

If what these brethren are saying is true, then the Church has some serious problems. If what they say is not true, then at least a few of our leaders have some serious problems, including a few of our most recent prophets.

On Becoming Popular

As Elder Packer stated, one of the first areas that should catch our attention regarding apostasy in the LDS Church is the focus of modern Mormonism on becoming popular. For example, President Gordon B. Hinckley once stated:

“Ours is the blessing to live in a better season [than the early saints]. The terrible persecutions of the past are behind us. Today we are looked upon with respect by people across the world” (Conference Report, Ensign, Nov. 1996).

President Hinckley has made other similar statements from time to time, including a statement on the television program 60 Minutes where he classified the LDS Church as being “mainstream” with other churches.

It is difficult to listen to a General Conference session or read a Church publication these days without some reference given to the LDS Church’s growth, influence, and the respect it receives from the world. Even other religions and the media are coming to the Church’s defense for perhaps the first time in history.

Yet, as much as we seem to enjoy basking in our newfound popularity, it should be recognized that the early leaders of this Church both predicted and condemned this state of affairs, especially President Brigham Young. Notice his direct prophetic tone as he expresses his concerns and the consequences he associates with popularity:

“And when the spirit of persecution, the spirit of hatred, of wrath, and malice ceases in the world against this people, it will be the time that this people have apostatized and joined hands with the wicked, and never until then; which I pray may never come” (Journal of Discourses 4:326-327).

“There is nothing that would so soon weaken my hope and discourage me as to see this people in full fellowship with the world, and receive no more persecution from them because they are one with them. In such an event, we might bid farewell to the Holy Priesthood with all its blessings, privileges and aids to exaltations, principalities and powers in the eternities of the Gods” (Journal of Discourses 10:32).

“When we see the time that we can willingly strike hands and have full fellowship with those who despise the Kingdom of God, know ye then that the Priesthood of the Son of God is out of your possession. Let us be careful how we make friends with and fellowship unrighteousness, lest the curse of God descends heavily upon us” (Journal of Discourses 10:273; emphasis added).

“When Mormonism finds favor with the wicked in this land, it will have gone into the shade; but until the power of the Priesthood is gone, ‘Mormonism’ will never become popular with the wicked” (Journal of Discourses 4:38: ).

“They would come now by thousands and thousands, if the Latter-day Saints were only popular. ‘What, these honorable men?’ Yes, they would say, ‘I want to be baptized. I admire your industry, and your skill in governing. You have a system of governing that is not to be found anywhere else. You know how to govern cities, territories, or the world, and I would like to join you.’

But take care if you join this people without the love of God in your soul it will do you no good. If they were to do this, they would bring in their sophistry, and introduce that which would poison the innocent and honest and lead them astray. I look at this, and I am satisfied that it will not do for the Lord to make this people popular. Why? Because all hell would want to be in the Church.

The people must be kept where the finger of scorn can be pointed at them. Although it is admitted that we are honest, industrious, truthful, virtuous, self-denying, and, as a community, possess every moral excellence, yet we must be looked upon as ignorant and unworthy, and as the off scouring of society, and be hated by the world.

What is the reason of this? Christ and Baal can not become friends. When I see this people grow and spread and prosper, I feel that there is more danger than when they are in poverty. Being driven from city to city or into the mountains is nothing compared to the danger of our becoming rich and being hailed by outsiders as a first-class community.

I am afraid of only one thing. What is that? That we will not live our religion, and that we will partially slide a little from the path of rectitude, and go part of the way to meet our friends” (Journal of Discourses 12:272; emphasis added).

This last reference should perhaps be of particular concern to us, considering that certain cities in Utah have taken great pride in recent years for being classified among the best places to live in America.

Notice how the aforementioned statements by President Hinckley sound like a fulfilling of these prophecies made by President Young more than 100 years earlier. What President Hinckley perceives as a “blessing” is what President Young clearly viewed as a “curse”, placing the very priesthood itself in jeopardy.

Church Becoming Popular

As previously mentioned, Elder Boyd K. Packer has expressed his concern about becoming popular as a church:

“Both Alma and Helaman told the church in their day. They warned about fast growth, the desire to be accepted by the world, to be popular, and particularly they warned about prosperity. Each time those conditions existed in combination, the church has drifted off course. All of those conditions are present in the church today(Helaman 6:32; 7:6; 11:26)” (“Let Them Govern Themselves”, Regional Representatives Seminar, Mar. 30, 1990; emphasis added).

In addition to statements such as these, it seems clear from the scriptures themselves that the Lord’s people are seldom very popular when they are truly living and preaching the word of God. In fact, a good argument could be presented to show that the higher the doctrines lived by the people of God, the more persecution they generally receive from the world.

There seems to be a direct relationship between righteousness and persecution. There has seldom, if ever, been a time when the Lord’s people were praised and accepted by those around them. Why should we believe that Latter-day Saints today are any different than all the other examples of God’s people throughout history?

The conclusion we come to on this subject is that although we may enjoy our current popularity in the world and a general lack of persecution, this may be nothing more or less than an indication that the LDS people have apostatized and joined handswith the wicked, as President Young put it. This should be of great concern to us as we consider the possibility of apostasy within the LDS Church.

In connection with the problems associated with becoming popular, there are also other prophetic statements suggesting that Salt Lake City will become one of the wickedest cities in the world. For example, Elder Heber C. Kimball once prophesied:

“After a while the gentiles will gather to this place by the thousands and Salt Lake will be classified among the wicked cities of the world. A spirit of speculation and extravagance will take possession of the saints, and the result will be financial bondage” (Amanda Wilcox records, BYU; emphasis added).

It is important to note in this prophecy that Elder Kimball is associating this wickedness with the saints. He is not referring to those who are not members of the LDS Church. Rather, it seems clear that his concern is focused on those within the LDS Church.

Mosiah Hancock also tells of President Brigham Young’s views on “the saints in the mountains”:

“He [Brigham Young] conversed freely on the situation of the saints in the mountains, and said that he dreaded the time when the saints would become popular with the world; for he had seen in sorrow, in a dream, or in dreams, this people clothed in the fashions of Babylon and drinking in the spirit of Babylon until one could hardly tell a saint from a blackleg… Many of this people for the sake of riches and popularity will sell themselves for that which will canker their souls and lead them down to misery and despair” (Mosiah Hancock Journal, p. 73).

Notice that President Young refers to this people. He is speaking to us. It is our own desires that will cause the misery and despair that will eventually fall upon our heads.

In another account from Mosiah Hancock, we find similar concerns about the saints in Salt Lake City. This time Brother Hancock is quoting the Prophet Joseph Smith on the subject:

“…you will travel west until you come to the valley of the Great Salt Lake… you will live to see men rise in power in the church who will seek to put down your friends and the friends of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Many will be hoisted because of their money and the worldly learning which they seem to be in possession of; and many who are the true followers of our Lord and Savior will be cast down because of their poverty” (Mosiah Hancock Journal, p. 19).

It seems clear from these references that the early brethren were quite convinced that Salt Lake City would become ranked among the most wicked cities of the world and that this wickedness would be among the members and leaders of the LDS Church. It is difficult to interpret these prophecies any other way.

Church Cleansed First

Another important prophecy about the latter-day apostasy can be found in the Doctrine and Covenants. Notice in the following verses that the calamities of the last days will actually begin upon the Lord’s house:

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, darkness covereth the earth, and gross darkness the minds of the people, and all flesh has become corrupt before my face.

Behold, vengeance cometh speedily upon the inhabitants of the earth, a day of wrath, a day of burning, a day of desolation, of weeping, of mourning, and of lamentation; and as a whirlwind it shall come upon all the face of the earth, saith the Lord.

And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord; First among those among you, saith the Lord, who have professed to know my name and have not known me, and have blasphemed against me in the midst of my house, saith the Lord” (D&C 112:23-26; emphasis added).

Now, regardless of how we define my house in this verse, there are few Latter-day Saints who would say that these verses are talking about anything other than the LDS Church. Notice the sins that accompany those who belong to the Lord’s house, those who are described as a people who profess to know God’s name but who have not really known Him. [See section called “God’s Disappearance”.] They are a people who have blasphemed against God in the midst of His house. Can this be interpreted as anything other than apostasy within the LDS Church?

In the Midst of His House

This prophecy, “in the midst of my house”, could not refer to anything other than the Church leadership. Possibly the time has come to fulfill this prophecy. Let us take a close look at the following photos:

Why are these two men, one the President of the LDS Church and the other the President of the United States — a non-Mormon — consciously using this sacred sign?

President Gordon B. Hinckley shaking hands with Vice PresidentDick Cheney. Again notice the location of the index fingers.

Why is Vice President Cheney using this same sacred sign with President Hinckley? This sacred sign cannot be done accidentally; it must be done consciously.

Has the sacred sign been compromised?

“Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee” (JST Exodus 34:12).

Pope John Paul II shaking hands with U.S. Cardinal John O’Connor. Note the position of the thumb.

Again the same configuration in the handshake of Pope Benedict XVI and Prime Minister Tony Blair.

In the above two instances, another sacred sign is being used by the Pope and one of his cardinals as well as between the Pope and Tony Blair, the Prime Minister of England. This sacred sign likewise cannot be done accidentally. It must be done consciously.

What has happened here? Has the Church “joined hands” with the Masonic Lodge? Is the secrecy and sacredness of these signs just another sign of fellowship or identification between brothers and not sacred at all? According to our Mormon beliefs, these signs cannot be used outside of the temples. One of the reasons these temples are built is to keep these signs secret and sacred. Why build a temple for this purpose if such is not the case?

“And it came to pass that they did have their signs, yea, their secret signs, and their secret words; and this that they might distinguish a brother who had entered into the covenant, that whatsoever wickedness his brother should do he should not be injured by his brother, nor by those who did belong to his band, who had taken this covenant” (Helaman 6:22).

Possibly this is why President Hinckley has used the term mainstream in recently describing the LDS Church’s present status. What are we as regular LDS members to think? Should we just close our eyes to these obvious breeches, or should we begin to stand up as God would want us to and question what is going on?

The main question is: Are we being lied to? If so, do we do or say nothing and jeopardize our status before God in not at least demanding an explanation to these obvious and unusual occurrences?

Joseph Smith’s Dispensation

Joseph Smith was and is the head of the dispensation of the fullness of times. He was a savior, so to speak, to the Gentiles (who consisted mainly of the tribe of Ephraim) — not in the same context as the Savior Jesus Christ, who was the Savior not only to the Jews but also to all of the tribes of Israel. Joseph Smith was a savior to the Gentiles in that he brought them the restored gospel, which, if lived, would bring them unto salvation. But, just like the Jews, the Gentiles killed their savior.

Just who are these Gentiles that are so important that a prophet such as Joseph Smith was sent especially to them? Well, that’s a long story. Basically, they are a mixture of the heathen nations and the descendants of the twelve tribes of Israel.

The tribes were dispersed among the heathen nations in two basic groups: First, 10 ½ tribes were taken into captivity by the Medes and the Persians. Later, the second group, comprised of the tribe of Judah and the ½ tribe of Benjamin, were taken into captivity by the Babylonians.

Both of these groups eventually escaped their captors and were dispersed north and west, becoming the nations of Europe, Russia, and Great Britain. Many from these tribes intermarried with the heathen nations and lost their identity. This intermarrying caused a mixture of the bloods, and thus the nations of the Gentiles came about.

The Savior came to the Jews in Jerusalem. This is, of course, another story. Put simply, a portion of the 1 ½ tribes taken into captivity by the Babylonians were allowed to return to their homeland. Therefore, the dispersion did not include them, and they remained identified. Since the main portion of them were of the tribe of Judah, they were called Jews. The lineage through which the Savior was to come was among this group, and, when the meridian of time came, the Savior was born of Mary and Joseph.

The Savior was brought up well educated and became a rabbi. He understood well that the people in Jerusalem represented only the 1 ½ tribes of the original twelve tribes and also represented the Levites who were not originally counted because they were mixed up among all of the tribes (but mostly among the 1 ½ tribes).

The Levites were identifiable, as they still performed their duties and ordinances among the Jews at the time of the Savior and were recognized by their priesthood duties. On the other hand, the Levites who were among the dispersed 10 ½ tribes no longer functioned in their priesthood duties and lost their identity, intermarrying among the remnant of the dispersed tribes.

The Savior came to the 1 ½ tribes plus the Levites (called as a group the Jews), and they rejected Him and had Him put to death. However, before His death, He stated on several occasions that He was well aware that the other 10 ½ tribes were out there, and He knew basically where they were.

After Jesus was martyred, His disciples, under the direction of the Apostle Peter who received revelation on what to do, went and preached to the other 10 ½ tribes classified as the Gentile nations. This marked the shift from the 1 ½ tribes (including Levi) to the 10 ½ tribes mixed up among the heathen (with the tribe of Ephraim being the major player in this group).

Of course most of us are familiar with what happened after the rejection of the gospel by the Jews. The Gentiles (Ephraim) accepted the gospel at first; however, because of their mixed blood and their heathen traditional background, they soon corrupted these pure doctrines of the teachings of the Savior, and the great apostasy occurred.

Over the years, the form of baptism was changed, and priesthood offices were molded and blended with former pagan rites. The sabbath day was changed from the seventh to the first day of the week (thus the Gentile sabbath).

The scriptures were no longer taught by the rabbis to the general public, as in the past, but were kept secret so that only a few were allowed to study the sacred writings. The people were taught to follow the leader and not to question ecclesiastical authority. Consequently great abuses occurred, resulting in the great apostasy.

Under the reformers, John Knox, Martin Luther, John Wesley, etc., the Gentile nations started to wake up and somewhat repented of this apostate condition. To this conglomeration of religions, the Lord sent Joseph Smith with the pure restored gospel, but, before he completed the work, he was shot down in cold blood. Just like the Savior was killed by the Jews (1 ½ tribes), Joseph Smith, the savior to the Gentiles (Ephraim — 10 ½ tribes), was likewise killed by the Gentiles.

All of these shifts were prophesied of several times in the Bible, Book of Mormon, and Doctrine & Covenants very, very clearly. [See section called “The First Last”.] However, it is often hard for the people to understand that these things apply to us at the present time. Most members today would say that it does not apply to us but to a different people or to a different time.

However, it was clearly prophesied that the Gentiles would again change the ordinances and break the everlasting covenant. It did not take today’s Gentiles nearly 400 years to bring about this apostasy like it did the first time after the crucifixion of the Savior. Instead it took us less than 100 years!

We will not relate all of the changes that have been made to the pure gospel restored by Joseph Smith, but some of the main ones are:

True repentance is not required for baptism.

People no longer kneel before their Savior while the sacrament is being blessed.

Functions of the various priesthood offices have been changed. Bishops are no longer required to supervise the United Order.

Temple ordinances have undergone significant deletions. Members have been advised that the Church leaders have made these changes because of the times we live in but should not worry because the Church leaders cannot lead us astray. In other words, follow the leader without question.

On one occasion the Lord told Joseph Smith that He will send one mighty and strong to “set in order the house of God”:

“And it shall come to pass that I, the Lord God, will send one mighty and strong, holding the scepter of power in his hand, clothed with light for a covering, whose mouth shall utter words, eternal words; while his bowels shall be a fountain of truth, to set in order the house of God, and to arrange by lot the inheritances of the saints whose names are found, and the names of their fathers, and of their children, enrolled in the book of the law of God” (D&C 85:7; emphasis added).

Why would God need to set something in order if it were not already out of order? The Book of Mormon describes clearly who has gone astray (apostatized) in the last days:

“They wear stiff necks and high heads; yea, and because of pride, and wickedness, and abominations, and whoredoms, they have all gone astray save it be a few, who are the humble followers of Christ; nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men” (2 Nephi 28:14).

President Ezra Taft Benson said this, referring to those who are members of the LDS Church — not those outside the Church:

“Not only are there apostates within our midst, but there are also apostate doctrines that are sometimes taught in our classes and from our pulpits and that appear in our publications. And these apostate precepts of men cause our people to stumble. As the Book of Mormon, speaking of our day, states:

‘They have all gone astray save it be a few, who are the humble followers of Christ; nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men’ (2 Nephi 28:14)” (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, pp. 89-90).

God’s Disappearance

Listed below are remarks given by President Gordon B. Hinckley in his talks to the press. An interview given by the San Francisco Chronicle with President Hinckley on April 13, 1997, shows the questions and answers exchanged concerning the LDS concept of God:

“Q: There are some significant differences in your beliefs. For instance, don’t Mormons believe that God was once a man?

A: I wouldn’t say that. There was a little couplet coined, ‘As man is, God once was. As God is, man may become.’ Now that’s more of a couplet than anything else. That gets into some pretty deep theology that we don’t know very much about.

Q: So you’re saying the church is still struggling to understand this?

A: Well, as God is, man may become. We believe in eternal progression. Very strongly. We believe that the glory of God is intelligence and whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection. Knowledge, learning, is an eternal thing. And for that reason, we stress education. We’re trying to do all we can to make of our people the ablest, best, brightest people that we can” (San Francisco Chronicle, Apr. 13, 1997).

Notice here that President Hinckley clearly states that he “wouldn’t say” that Mormons believe God was once a man. This same issue came up again several months later in an interview with TimeMagazine:

“On whether his church still holds that God the Father was once a man, he [President Hinckley] sounded uncertain, ‘I don’t know that we teach it. I don’t know that we emphasize it… I understand the philosophical background behind it, but I don’t know a lot about it, and I don’t think others know a lot about it’” (Time Magazine, Aug. 4, 1997).

Statements such as these create certain problems for those who have spent the time to research this doctrine. Not only is this doctrine taught with great clarity in the Church by both the Gospel Principles manual and the 1998 Priesthood and Relief Society manuals, but it is clear that this doctrine has been an important part of LDS theology since the time of Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith himself had this to say about the doctrine:

“These are incomprehensible ideas to some, but they are simple. It is the first principle of the Gospel to know for a certainty the Character of God, and to know that we may converse with him as one man converses with another, and that he was once a man like us; yea, that God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ himself did; and I will show it from the Bible” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 345).

Notice how Joseph Smith considered this doctrine to be part of the “first principle of the gospel.” It was clearly a very important doctrine to him. The inconsistency is made even worse by the fact that President Hinckley claimed that we don’t understand this doctrine.

This seems to fit right in with Joseph Smith’s statement that although these are simple concepts, “These are incomprehensible ideas to some….” Understandably, this does not sit well with many of those who love this doctrine and view it as one of the pearls of great price of the restoration.

With perhaps even more force than Joseph Smith, President Lorenzo Snow once taught the following concerning this doctrine:

“I had a direct revelation of this. It was most perfect and complete. If there ever was a thing revealed to man perfectly, clearly, so that there could be no doubt or dubiety, this was revealed to me, and it came in these words: ‘As man now is, God once was; as God now is, man may be.’” (Teachings of Lorenzo Snow, p. 5).

Given the teachings of the early leaders of the Church, combined with what we are taught in our current manuals, it is difficult to reconcile President Hinckley’s remarks concerning this doctrine.

Other Incriminating Comments

Other comments from President Hinckley seem equally alarming. Compare the following answers to the same basic question, first from Gordon B. Hinckley and then from Brigham Young 120 years earlier:

“Q: And this belief in contemporary revelation and prophecy? As the prophet, tell us how that works. How do you receive divine revelation? What does it feel like?

A: Let me say first that we have a great body of revelation, the vast majority of which came from the prophet Joseph Smith. We don’t need much revelation. We need to pay more attention to the revelation we’ve already received.

Now, if a problem should arise on which we don’t have an answer, we pray about it, we may fast about it, and it comes. Quietly. Usually no voice of any kind, but just a perception in the mind. I liken it to Elijah’s experience. When he sought the Lord, there was a great wind, and the Lord was not in the wind. And there was an earthquake, and the Lord was not in the earthquake. And a fire, and the Lord was not in the fire. But in a still, small voice. Now that’s the way it works” (San Francisco Chronicle, Apr. 13, 1997).

And now the same basic question is answered by Brigham Young:

“Q: [Do] you, like the old prophets, receive direct revelation from God?

A: Yes, and not only me but my brethren also.

Q: Does that extend to all the church without reserve or rank?

A: Yes, and it is just as necessary for the mother to possess this spirit in training and rearing her children as for anyone else.

Q: It is not absolutely necessary, then, that each person receive revelations through you?

A: Oh, no; through the spirit of Christ, the Holy Ghost; but to dictate to the church is my part of it” (Deseret News, May 23, 1877).

It is easy to see a stark contrast in these two answers. There is a clear difference in not only the content but in the attitude with which these questions were answered.

As mentioned earlier, there are also differences regarding how the Church should be viewed and accepted by the world. President Hinckley apparently likes the idea of the Church becoming popular in the world:

“Ours is the blessing to live in a better season [than the early saints]. The terrible persecutions of the past are behind us. Today we are looked upon with respect by people across the world” (Conference Report, Ensign, Nov. 1996).

President Brigham Young, on the other hand, apparently viewed this issue quite differently:

“And when the spirit of persecution, the spirit of hatred, of wrath, and malice ceases in the world against this people, it will be the time that this people have apostatized and joined hands with the wicked, and never until then; which I pray may never come” (Journal of Discourses 4:326-327).

I dare say that anyone who fails to see a major difference in these two statements is simply not comprehending the obvious. These views are dramatically different.

This list could go on to include many other examples of different doctrines and approaches between early Mormonism and modern Mormonism. These teachings are by no means restricted to President Hinckley. They can be and have been fairly easily documented over the course of many years of LDS Church history. Many have found a rather lengthy list of discrepancies between the teachings of the early LDS prophets and those of more recent years. How do we explain these discrepancies? Who is right, and who is wrong?

Or is it somehow possible that both groups are right or both are wrong? It seems unfair that many of those who are honestly asking such questions with sincere hearts are judged rather harshly and are often cast out as obvious apostates. Although some may be a little too hasty in their judgments of such issues, these are legitimate questions for which there are few good answers.

One possible conclusion is that the leaders of the LDS Church are indeed fallible and may not possess all the answers or revelation that we would like. We may not like that answer, but, if we are honest with ourselves, it must be listed among our possible conclusions to this dilemma. If we accept the fact that the leaders are fallible, then we must ask which ones are right – the early prophets or the modern ones? Both cannot be.

Arm of Flesh

Notice in the following remarks that President Benson not only opens the door for continued problems within the leadership of the Church, but he even goes as far as to equate the General Authorities with “the arm of flesh”:

“Six of the original Twelve Apostles selected by Joseph Smith were excommunicated. The Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon left the Church. Three of Joseph Smith’s counselors fell — one even helped plot his death.

A natural question that might arise would be that if the Lord knew in advance that these men would fall, as He undoubtedly did, why did He have His prophet call them to such high office? The answer is: to fill the Lord’s purposes. For even the Master followed the will of the Father by selecting Judas.

President George Q. Cannon suggested an explanation, too, when he stated, ‘Perhaps it is his own design that faults and weaknesses should appear in high places in order that his saints may learn to trust in him and not in any man or men’ (Millennial Star 53:658, 1891).

The entire verse in 2 Nephi quoted by President Benson reads as follows:

“O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm” (2 Nephi 4:34).

“Certain individuals within the Church may go astray and even fall away. This may happen even to a person in the Church who is in a position of some influence and authority. It has happened in the past. It will happen in the future. If our faith is in Jesus Christ and not in the arm of flesh, then we will know that we are members of the Church of Jesus Christ and not the church of men” (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 90).

It is interesting to note that the doctrine of infallibility itself seems to be one of the apparent discrepancies between the early brethren and the modern leaders. Although it is taught with great frequency and force in the LDS Church today (in spite of President Benson’s warning), most of the early brethren seemed to stay away from the doctrine of infallibility. For example, the Prophet Joseph Smith boldly taught:

“We have heard men who hold the priesthood remark that they would do anything they were told to do by those who preside over them [even] if they knew it was wrong; but such obedience as this is worse than folly to us; it is slavery in the extreme; and the man who would thus willingly degrade himself, should not claim a rank among intelligent beings, until he turns from his folly. A man of God would despise the idea.

Others, in the extreme exercise of their almighty authority have taught that such obedience was necessary, and that no matter what the saints were told to do by their presidents, they should do it without any questions. When the Elders of Israel will so far indulge in these extreme notions of obedience as to teach them to the people, it is generally because they have it in their hearts to do wrong themselves” (Millennial Star, Vol. 14, Issue 38, pp. 593-595).

President Brigham Young was also very concerned about the saints blindly following their leaders:

“What a pity it would be if we were led by one man to utter destruction! Are you afraid of this? I am more afraid that this people have so much confidence in their leaders that they will not inquire for themselves of God whether they are led by Him. I am fearful they settle down in a state of blind self-security, trusting their eternal destiny in the hands of their leaders with a reckless confidence that in itself would thwart the purposes of God in their salvation, and weaken that influence they could give to their leaders, did they know for themselves, by the revelations of Jesus, that they are led in the right way.

Let every man and woman know, by the whispering of the Spirit of God to themselves, whether their leaders are walking in the path the Lord dictates, or not. This has been my exhortation continually” (Journal of Discourses 9:151).

“The First Presidency have of right a great influence over this people; and if we should get out of the way and lead this people to destruction, what a pity it would be! How can you know whether we lead you correctly or not? Can you know by any other power than that of the Holy Ghost? I have uniformly exhorted the people to obtain this living witness, each for themselves; then no man on earth can lead them astray” (Journal of Discourses 6:100).

“I do not want men to come to me or my brethren for testimony as to the truth of this work; but let them take the Scriptures of divine truth, and there the path is pointed out to them as plainly as ever a guideboard indicated the right path to the weary traveler. There they are directed to go, not to Brothers Brigham, Heber, or Daniel, to any apostle or elder in Israel, but to the Father in the name of Jesus, and ask for the information they need.

Can they who take this course in honesty and sincerity receive information? Will the Lord turn away from the honest heart seeking for truth? No, He will not; He will prove to them, by the revelations of His Spirit, the facts in the case.

And when the mind is open to the revelations of the Lord it comprehends them quicker and keener than anything that is seen by the natural eye. It is not what we see with our eyes — they may be deceived — but what is revealed by the Lord from Heaven is sure and steadfast, and abides for ever. We do not want the people to rely on human testimony, although that cannot be confuted and destroyed; still, there is a more sure word of prophecy that all may gain if they will seek it earnestly before the Lord” (Journal of Discourses 12:96).

Consider this: It is the nature of man to try and put their reliance on other men. When a true prophet of God feels this inappropriate weight from the people, he will correct it just as Joseph Smith and Brigham Young did. However, conversely, if a leader accepts this doctrine of infallibility, he will direct the responsibility of the people’s errors to himself.

What a crushing responsibility! These people then have a valid excuse at judgment. “He told me so.” Wow! No wonder Joseph Smith and Brigham Young steered away from this concept.

Parts Sealed

Besides these quotes from the Book of Mormon used by the current leaders of the Church to describe the Church of today, let us look further in the Book of Mormon for other quotes that clearly refer to this time.

When Nephi was writing down what the Savior said in His sermon to the people at that time, it is significant that he was forbidden to write down certain portions of the Savior’s sermon. It is quite clear that certain parts of the Book of Mormon were sealed; if this is the case, why were they sealed? Alma explains this:

“And now, my son, I command you that ye retain all their oaths and their covenants, and their agreements and their secret abominations; yea, and all their signs and wonders ye shall keep from this people, that they know them not, lest peradventure they should fall into darkness also and be destroyed” (Alma 37:27).

First, some parts were sealed to prevent the perpetuation of these great evils because the content was so wicked and could be used by evil people in the current generation. Second, certain parts of the true gospel were withheld to prevent people from coming under condemnation for not living by those principles.

For example, if we compare the Law of Tithing with the Law of Consecration, we find two similar but somewhat opposing laws of God. Basically, the Law of Tithing is intended to be replaced by the Law of Consecration. It is fair to say that where one exists, the other will not. If you are living the Law of Consecration, there is no need to live the Law of Tithing. What is giving 10% of your income compared with giving all of your time, talents, and everything with which the Lord has blessed you?

Once you begin to live the Law of Consecration, the Law of Tithing becomes obsolete. Yet both of these laws came to us by God through revelation via proper authority. One law is simply higher than the other. You might accurately say that one law is of higher quality than the other, one taking us to the celestial kingdom and the other taking us to the telestial kingdom. You may even go as far as to ask if the Law of Tithing is even correctly understood and lived today.

Another example of higher and lower laws is found in the Law of Moses, which is clearly a lower law. It was given to the children of Israel because they rejected the higher law. Then when Christ came to earth in the meridian of time, this lower law was replaced by a higher law. It is not that the Law of Moses was false or incorrect. Nor is it the case that Moses was a fallen prophet because he taught such low laws. It is simply a lower law given by God according to the faithfulness and diligence of the people at that time.

“And these things have I [Mormon] written, which are a lesser part of the things which he [Jesus] taught the people; and I have written them to the intent that they may be brought again unto this people, from the Gentiles, according to the words which Jesus hath spoken” (3 Nephi 26:8; emphasis added).

The Lord knew that when the true gospel was restored by Joseph Smith, most of that generation would reject the higher portion, just as the Israelites in Moses’ time rejected greater enlightenment and had to receive the lesser law of the ten carnal commandments.

We know that the angel told Joseph Smith that certain parts of the gold plates were sealed. Why? For the same reason as above. Because God knew beforehand that the higher laws of the gospel would be rejected by the Gentiles, the sealed portion of the plates would not be revealed until the very end when all of the knowledge of the Lord would be revealed, and nothing would be hidden. In no other way could the final punishment of the wicked be justified. Only when the fullness is revealed and rejected by the people can the final judgment come.

We have not received further light and knowledge through the Church authorities because we are not worthy:

“And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them. And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld from them, unto their condemnation. Behold, I was about to write them, all which were engraven upon the plates of Nephi, but the Lord forbade it, saying: I will try the faith of my people” (3 Nephi 26:9-11; emphasis added).

The Salt That Has Lost Its Savor

By reading all of 3 Nephi 16, it is easy to see that the Savior is talking about the last days, after the gospel has been restored through Joseph Smith. By comparing 3 Nephi 16:15 with D&C 101:39-40, we can also see that the Gentiles spoken of here are the covenant people. Notice how the Lord refers to the Gentiles in this verse as “salt that hath lost its savor”:

“But if they [the Gentiles] will not turn unto me, and hearken unto my voice, I will suffer them, yea, I will suffer my people, O house of Israel, that they shall go through among them, and shall tread them down, and they shall be as salt that hath lost its savor, which is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of my people, O house of Israel” (3 Nephi 16:15; emphasis added).

Are we, as members of the Church, to be destroyed? The church Joseph Smith set up was to the Gentiles. We, the membership of the Church, are those to whom He is talking. To help us better understand these words, the Lord has given us a definition of salt that hath lost its savor:

“When men are called unto mine everlasting gospel, and covenant with an everlasting covenant, they are accounted as the salt of the earth and the savor of men. They are called to be the savor of men; therefore, if that salt of the earth lose its savor, behold, it is thenceforth good for nothing only to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men” (D&C 101:39-40; emphasis added).

We can clearly see from these verses that the Gentiles spoken of by the Savior are not those who reject the missionaries, but they are those who have made an everlasting covenant with God and then reject that covenant. The Savior is referring to us, the members of the holy church of God in the latter days. Concerning this, the Prophet Joseph Smith once said:

“No true angel from God will ever come to ordain any man, because they have once been sent to establish the priesthood by ordaining me thereunto;…the priesthood once being established on earth, with power to ordain others, no heavenly messenger will ever come to interfere with that power by ordaining any more…You may therefore know, from this time forward, that if any man comes to you professing to be ordained by an angel, he is either a liar or has been imposed upon in consequence of transgression by an angel of the devil, for this priesthood shall never be taken away from this church.

And thus commandeth the Father that I should say unto you: At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel, and shall reject the fullness of my gospel, and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations, and above all the people of the whole earth, and shall be filled with all manner of lyings, and of deceits, and of mischiefs, and all manner of hypocrisy, and murders, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, and of secret abominations; and if they shall do all those things, and shall reject the fullness of my gospel, behold, saith the Father, I will bring the fullness of my gospel from among them” (Millennial Star, Nov. 20, 1846, p. 139; emphasis added).

This prophecy has been fulfilled, although the Gentile membership has not realized it yet.

The First Last

“And then will I remember my covenant which I have made unto my people, O house of Israel, and I will bring my gospel unto them. And I will show unto thee, O house of Israel, that the Gentiles shall not have power over you; but I will remember my covenant unto you, O house of Israel, and ye shall come unto the knowledge of the fulness of my gospel” (3 Nephi 16:11-12; emphasis added).

Here we can see that the Lord makes a clear distinction between the Gentile church and the Israelite nation which has been prophesied to come. He says that He is going to bring the fullness of His gospel from among the Gentiles (that is us). Then He is going to remember the covenant which He has made unto His people, the house of Israel, thereby transferring that fullness of the gospel to the house of Israel (D&C 14:10).

Now we will discuss the “first and last” prophecy found in the following volumes of scripture: JST Luke 13:30, 1 Nephi 10:14 and 13:42, Ether 13:12, Jacob 5:63, D&C 107:35 and 133:8.

“And the time cometh that he shall manifest himself unto all nations, both unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles; and after he has manifested himself unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles, then he shall manifest himself unto the Gentiles and also unto the Jews, and the last shall be first, and the first shall be last” (1 Nephi 13:42).

First: Through the instrumentality of the Savior, the true gospel came first to the Jews, who were the identified portion of the 1 1⁄2 tribes of Israel. The Jews rejected the gospel and crucified their Savior.

Last: This pure gospel was then preached to and accepted wholeheartedly by the dispersed 10 1⁄2 tribes, who were classified as the Gentiles. They eventually corrupted the pure gospel, causing the great apostasy.

The Last First: In these last days the Lord sent Joseph Smith to restore the fullness of the gospel. And who did He send it to? Just as He promised, He sent it to us, the Gentiles (Ephraim). For the same reasons that the early Gentile church rejected the gospel after the time of the Savior, we have done so again. As our current apostles have figured out, the apostasy from the fullness has occurred, and we are left with a watered-down version of the gospel. Now we are no different than the other churches and have become mainstream with the world.

The First Last: Therefore, as clearly described in the aforementioned scriptures, the true gospel in its fullness will go back to not just the 10 ½ or 1 ½ tribes but to the entire 12 tribes together, excluding Ephraim. Why not this tribe? Because they were gathered first, being totally mixed up and combined with the Gentile nations:

“And the number of them who were sealed, were an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.

Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nephthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.

Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.

Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand” (JST Revelation 7:4-8).

It doesn’t seem to strike the present members of the LDS Church that the time of the Gentiles (Ephraim) is fulfilled. The twelve tribes will now come into prominence and be identified. But, before this is to happen, there may be one more effort to cleanse what is left of the Church.

Is it possible that the Lord could reserve a righteous people unto himself in our day — a people apart from the mainstream LDS Church? Read the following prediction of Elder Orson Pratt:

“There must be a reformation. There will be a reformation among this people, but He will plead with the stronger ones of Zion, He will plead with this people, He will plead with those in high places, He will plead with the priesthood of this church, until Zion shall become clean before him.

I do not know but what it would be an utter impossibility to commence and carry out some principles pertaining to Zion right in the midst of this people. They have strayed so far that to get a people who would conform to heavenly laws it may be needful to lead some from the midst of this people and commence anew in the regions round about in these mountains” (Journal of Discourses 15:360; emphasis added).

This cannot be called a prophecy, just a probability. Elder Pratt understood that the majority of the LDS Church would be led astray, but he got the last part incorrect. We know that there will be “one mighty and strong” who will come along at this time to cleanse the Church.

Clear Identity Revealed

Now comes an important truth that may astonish some. Let us ask a question: Who are these prophecies directed to? Obviously it is us, the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Next question: Who are we? What race and origin? Literally 95% of the LDS Church who have had their patriarchal blessings are said to be from which tribe? Look at your own blessing. You are from the tribe of Ephraim. You are a descendant of Jacob, through his son Joseph and Joseph’s son Ephraim, either by lineage or adoption.

It was promised that Ephraim would be gathered out first, which he was (JST 1 Chronicles 5:1-2 and JST Jeremiah 31:9). Because Joseph saved Israel at the time of the great famine in Egypt when Israel consisted of merely 70 souls, his son Ephraim was privileged to be gathered first.

Ephraim will pass the priesthood to the other twelve tribes as they appear and are identified (JST Deuteronomy 33:17 and D&C 133:32). Just as the brothers of Joseph were joyous in the recognition of Joseph who they thought was dead, so also will they be joyous when he presents them with the holy priesthood, which time is soon to come (D&C 133:32-34).

Now it is time for the other twelve tribes to either be identified or located. This does not include any other people (e.g., the Arabs, the Chinese, the Japanese, the Negroes, the East Indians, or any other like people). This includes only the descendants of Jacob (Israel), as the Lord named him and no others.

The Israelites are the only nation to which this law applies, as they are the only nation entitled to the Melchizedek and Aaronic priesthoods. (However, the Aaronic Priesthood belongs to just one tribe in Israel, which is the tribe of Levi, and particularly the descendants of Aaron.) This is clearly written in the scriptures:

“Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And the number of them who were sealed, were an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel” (JST Revelation 7:3-4).

The Book of Revelation goes on to show that 12,000 from each tribe will be called. As explained earlier, Ephraim was excluded, as they were already gathered at the time of Joseph Smith because they were first. No other nation is involved, just the descendants of Jacob (Israel).

These 144,000 will be high priests, which shows that Israel alone is called to preside in the latter days, and they alone have the responsibility of the priesthood. At the same time, an innumerable multitude are gathered, consisting of all those who have recognized that Jesus is the Savior and who bow their heads and bend their knees in respect to Him. Verse 14 explains who qualifies:

“And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (JST Revelation 7:14).

This verse sounds like it is to those who have passed on and qualified themselves. We are not told whether or not these people are only from the twelve tribes. Verse 9 says “all nations”; however, in many places in the Bible, nations refers only to the twelve tribes.

Now the big problem is how will all these people be identified? Some believe that the tribes are all together in the north country and that they will come down as a group. This may be the case for a small group that may have been hidden up, but, if we know the history of the dispersion, we know this could also mean that they are dispersed among all the nations of the earth and will somehow be identified.

Since the majority of the Caucasian nations are from the north (if we concur that the original land base for Israel was around Jerusalem), anything north of Jerusalem would classify as north country. This area includes Russia, Europe, Canada, and Alaska. We know from history that when Israel was dispersed, they went north and west and became the nations mentioned above (1 Nephi 10:12-13).

What We Can Do

Now we can say with certainty that the Church has truly not been doing what it should be doing. We then come back to the question of whose fault it is. Yes, like a childish gesture, you can point to the Church authorities and say it is their fault. But we do not believe this. We believe the fault lies right here among us rank-and-file members.

President Monson and President Hinckley are following just what the majority of us members have been asking them to do. They have been following the will and desires of the membership to become mainstream with the world.

To celebrate the release of a Harry Potter novel about witchcraft, the BYU Bookstore (which is ultimately run by the Church authorities) held a party in 2007 which was astoundingly successful. About 4,000 people were in attendance and participated in wand making and a magic show, involving many young, impressionable children and their parents.

Yes, we the parents of this young generation are quick to latch on to these current trends and even join in by condoning the evil of witchcraft. We, the membership of the Church, could have boycotted this celebration. It could have been downgraded by the Church and abandoned. Instead of doing this, we the membership totally embraced it and made it a great success — just what we wanted, and we got it. How sad that we do not see in front of our own eyes.

This whole thing boils down to whether we want to continue to follow the mainstream telestial church or return to the fundamental truths restored by the true prophet Joseph Smith, which will take us on to the celestial realms. Do we want to go through the sifting, sifting, and more sifting that is prophesied to happen to us if we fail to repent and turn away from our wayward conduct — and then be destroyed with the wicked? The choice is ours and ours alone.

We, the authors of this newsletter, are not apostates. We are stalwarts, and our only desire is to cause the membership of the Church to repent and support and encourage the leaders of this great church to again embrace the fullness of the gospel, which will enable us to reach the celestial realms.

We have to prepare ourselves to live the terrestrial (Garden of Eden) laws and gather to places of refuge in order to survive the calamities that are shortly to come. If we do not gather to places of refuge, we will suffer untold persecutions and (if you can believe it) have our lives spared by denying Christ, our Lord and Savior. Most people think that they would never do such a thing. But look at Peter, the Lord’s senior apostle, and many others. They did not think that would happen to them either.

We must prepare to go as a nation (Israel) to Independence, Missouri. We will either do it by purchase or by war. No matter the way, it will happen.